The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo on Thursday defended his government’s decision to agree to a deal to host U.S troops in the West African nation.
Ghana’s parliament last month voted to approve the deal to grant the United States of America “unimpeded” access to deploy its troops and military equipment in the country.
Under the agreement the US government would also have unrestricted access to facilities and enjoy tax exemptions on those facilities.
The United States is to in return invest around $20 million in training and equipment for the Ghanaian military as well as joint exercises.
Hundreds of Ghanaians demonstrated on the street of Accra to ask the president not to sign up to the deal with many of them saying the agreement amounts to surrendering the country’s sovereignty to the United States.
Nana Akufo Addo said in a televised address to the nation that “It is our firm belief that the agreement will help enhance our defence capability, and offer an important layer of support in our common effort to protect the peace in our region.”
“So let me state with the clearest affirmation that Ghana has not offered a military base, and will not offer a military base to the United States of America,” Nana Addo added.
Source: Africafeeds.com
