Despite criticisms by some Ghanaians of the President’s choice of words during a national address on the contentious 2018 Defence Cooperation Agreement between Ghana and the U.S, others are praising him.
President Akufo-Addo condemned what he said was the “unspeakable hypocrisy of the fraternity of some frontline politicians, who make a habit of running with the hares and hunting with the hounds, who secretly wallow in the largesse of the United States of America, whilst, at the same time, promote anti-American sentiments to a populist constituency.”
He also took “issue with the front-line politicians who have sought to mislead the people in this blatant manner, and those who, for mischievous purposes, leaked the document destined for the scrutiny of Parliament prematurely to a section of the media, who then went on to describe it as a ‘secret document’”.
Liberian President, George Weah, arrives in Ghana for 2-day visit
These comments have been described as hard, while others have said the President failed to use the much-anticipated address on Thursday evening to adequately deal with the concerns raised by well-meaning Ghanaians.
However, speaking on MultiTV/Joy FM’s Newsfile Saturday, popular social commentator and the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Kwaku Baako Jr thinks the President’s description of some of the dissenters of the military pact is appropriate.
“I see nothing unpresidential about this statement”, Kwaku Baako said of the President’s claim that some people are scheming to incite anti-American sentiments.
“The ‘fraternity of front-line politicians’ that is where the focus is,” the experienced journalist pointed out.
“When you have a fraternity of frontline politicians out there, telling you that this 2018 agreement will create room for the introduction of nuclear bombs, the introduction of biological bombs into this country, the introduction of homosexuality into this country…
“If you have these people, who are experienced, who have been in government, who have signed similar agreements out there pushing that line…who are they? Hypocrites of the highest order,” Kwaku Baako said Saturday on the news analysis programme.
He said the President’s response was an “adequate and immediate response” to these ‘frontline politicians’.
Controversy
The military cooperation agreement with the US has been met with fierce public outcry as many Ghanaians fear a possible national security threat.
At least one security analyst has suggested that enemies of the superpower may strike Ghana with the presence of American soldiers on Ghanaian soil.
But both the American embassy in Ghana and the government have taken pains to dispel that concern.
The Minority walked out of Parliament before the deal was ratified by a one-sided House.