Feature Article : "The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Modernghana.com."

By Nana Akyea Mensah, the Odikro...

A Rejoinder To Feature Article of Monday, 25 May 2009

Obama's Visit – What's In It For Us And U.S.? By Asare Otchere-Darko

The "Baloney!" Declaration:

'ACCRA, Ghana (CNN) February 20, 2008.

"The purpose of this is not to add military bases," Bush said. "I know there's rumors in Ghana -- 'all Bush is coming to do is try to convince you to put a big military base here.' That's baloney. Or as we say in Texas, that's bull."

- Mr. George W. Bush, Jr., (President of United States of America in Accra, Ghana. February 20, 2008.)

The president of Ghana, John Kufuor, said he welcomed Bush's comments.

"I am happy for the president's dispelling any notion that the United States of America is intending to build military bases on the continent of Africa... I believe the explanation the president has given should put paid to the speculation so that the relationship between us and the United States will grow stronger and with mutual respect,"

- Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor, (President of the Republic of Ghana Accra, Ghana. February 20, 2008.)

(Source: CNN, "Bush: Rumors of U.S. bases in Africa are 'baloney'", February 20, 2008 -- Updated 1836 GMT (0236 HKT). CNN's Ed Henry and Tim McCaughan contributed to this report.)

This article is bound to have two parts or more. This is because I feel I am already suppressing my disdain, finding it difficult to believe that we have been lied to over such a serious matter, and refusing to appreciate why Ghanaians should even be called upon to accept a US military bases here simply because it is a done deal! I am sure we shall need to talk about all of that, but first of all, I wish to take some time to express my shock and dismay with all my might of wonder, to learn that what was openly referred to as "Baloney" and nothing to worry about is underway, far advanced, and virtually inevitable! I am very angry that Ghanaians have been lied to so blatantly by their own elected President. Boiling at the autocratic insolence behind the "what's in it for us?" question that Mr. Ochere-Darko is now posing. I am certainly amazed that a matter of fundamental concern to each and every citizen could be cooked up to such an extent without an open and frank national democratic debate whatsoever!

Kwesi Pratt Jnr., The Alarm and the US Embassy Denial

Many Ghanaians were taken aback and did not know whom to believe when the Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr., insisted that he had evidence to support his claims that the US government is planning to set up a military base here in Accra. According Mr. Pratt, the establishment of the base was part of a grand design by the US to control West Africa. Mr. Pratt warned that the establishment of such a base in Ghana was recipe for disaster and called on Ghanaians to stand against it.

Speaking in an interview with Joy News, after the denial of his allegations by the US Embassy Mr Pratt said his claims were contained in a US committee's report written by US Vice President Dick Cheney.

“The evidence we have is in an official report prepared by the US Vice President which is called the Cheney Report. And it is a report commissioned by President Bush himself when he set up the Cheney Committee to review how to meet America's energy requirement up to the year 2015. If the US embassy here is denying it then I don't know what to say,” he said.

The Minister of Defence, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, also joined the Americans to deny the claims that the US government intends to establish a military base in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale. Dr Addo Kufuor said "the US has no reason to establish a base in West Africa." This was after Mr. Pratt had again mounted a platform at Tamale to denounce the establishment of a base there. Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr, had alleged that the US is planning to establish a base in Tamale. This was contained in an address he delivered to a forum of the Committee for Joint Action in Tamale last Friday, Mr Pratt called on the people to resist any such attempts.

Dr Addo Kufuor who was in Tamale to seek support for his presidential bid, said the claims were baseless. Addressing journalists and some New Patriotic Party (NPP) constituency executives at a dinner in Tamale, Dr Addo Kufuor said the claims were baseless.

"If for any reason the US wants to establish a military base in West Africa it could do so by sending its warship to the West Africa coast." Said Dr Addo Kufuor, as he challenged "Mr Pratt and his CJA cohorts to provide evidence."

Putting "paid to the speculation"
With hindsight, I find our own elected President Kufour's remarks after the "Baloney" Speech"the most treacherous of all. After allaying the fears of Ghanaians the guy simply went ahead to secretly plot with the Americans to speed up their preparations for the base whilst he turned around to tell Ghanaians that: Continued    Source: Nana Akyea Mensah

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