General News of Monday, 26 March 2018
Source: Myjoyonline.com
Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul
A member of the opposition National Democratic
Congress has sued the government over the controversial Ghana-US
military cooperation agreement.Yaw Brogya Gyamfi, who is the Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser is asking the highest court of the land to, among other things, set aside the agreement that was ratified by Parliament on Friday.
The writ filed on Monday, March 26, 2018 has the Attorney General Gloria Akuffo and Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul as the first and second defendants.
According to Mr Gyamfi, the two government appointees breached several laws in their bid to have the controversial Ghana-US military agreement ratified.
He is demanding nine reliefs from the court including;
“A declaration that the Minister of Defence acted in contravention of articles 58 (1), 75 and 93 (2) of the 1992 Constitution when he laid or caused to be laid before Parliament an unexecutive draft of the supposed defence cooperation agreement for ratification under Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution."
The NDC member said neither the Executive of the legislature has the power to enter or ratify a treaty that seeks to oust the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in matters of interpretation of international agreements.
Even though the agreement was ratified on Friday amidst drama and chaos, Mr Gyamfi wants the justices to annul the agreement.
The Minority walked out of Parliament claiming it will not have anything to do with the agreement. The Majority, nonetheless, went ahead to ratify same
Per the agreement, Ghana has entered into a collaboration with the US military which would allow the latter unfettered access to some facilities.
The deal will also allow for military training activities between the armies of the two countries.
The West African country is expected to earn some $20 million as part of the agreement, an amount the US Ambassador Robert Jackson has described “as a good return.”
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