‪#ARIPO PVP‬‬: Is President Mahama Keeping His Oath Of Office? - CPP

On the 55th anniversary of Ghana's status as a Republic, President Mahama is handing our nation back to the colonial oppressors! Ghanaians have woken up to the dangers of GMOs, the Plant Breeders Bill (PBB) and their sinister implications for our health, wealth and sovereignty as a nation. Food Sovereignty Ghana's successful application for an injunction against the commercialisation of bt rice and bt cowpea, as well as the CPP's lawsuit have opened people's eyes to what is at stake.

To circumvent Parliament and public opinion, our President has sent the Minister of Agriculture to Arusha, Tanzania on 29 June to sign up to the ARIPO Plant Variety Protocol (ARIPO PVP). A single legally-binding act that will hand over ALL the DNA of Africa's flora and fauna to agribusiness corporations! It is untenable that this heinous betrayal of all Ghanaians and our descendants should take place on Republic Day! On a continent where food is sacred and is eaten as is, without any labelling, we run the risk of being forced to eat GMOs.

We are waiting to hear from President Mahama on Ghana's position on the ARIPO PVP Protocol which is a clear attempt to re-introduce the disgraceful Plant Breeders' Bill through the back-door. Ghana is being pushed to spearhead the process because ARIPO sees Ghana as already at some stages of passing a PVP on their own, or have already passed it. Ghana could make a powerful difference by opposing the Protocol.

The overwhelming rejection by Ghanaians of the UPOV-compliant Plant Breeders' Bill, is what ought to inform the external commitments of the Mahama Administration. It is amazing that Ghana’s government is attending this diplomatic conference and agree to a regional treaty that is controversial nationally.

It is our view that any move to impose the ARIPO PVP on Ghana, or government’s failure to show leadership and revise this Protocol and steer it away from the dictates of greedy agribusiness corporations and their G7 and USAID allies, would be a contravention of the oath of office that President Mahama swore to safeguard Ghana, her citizens and all that lies within her borders.

The ARIPO diplomatic conference is a bare-faced plan to steal our sovereignty with impunity, and on no other day than the 1st of July, Ghana's Republic Day! Ghana is not for sale, on the 55^th anniversary of our Republic or on any other day for that matter. The ARIPO PVP Protocol supersedes all of Ghana’s sovereign laws and institutions.

We expect President Mahama to take our concerns about the ARIPO PVP Protocol seriously if he is to maintain our confidence in him as a conscientious President! After all, he swore in his oath of office, to uphold and defend Ghana, her people and all resources within her boundaries. He is therefore duty-bound to honour that oath.

Nii Armah Akomfrah
CPP Director of Communication
www.conventionpeoplesparty.org