The recent news of an agreement between the Governments of the United States and Ghana for the establishment of a military base has sparked public outcry.
Ghanaians are pissed at the agreement and its one sided nature which seems to give massive leeway to the U.S to do whatever they like on our soil without facing any consequences.
And whilst Ghanaians are outraged over the decision there is little activism out there putting pressure on government directly except via social media, a situation decried by GhanaCelebrities.Com editor Chris-Vincent Agyapong Febiri.
Writing on social media, Chris-Vincent argued that Ghanaians cannot place any pressure on our politicians because even the citizens are divided on any issue by blind partisanship and can never mobilize in the national interest.
He cited other countries where citizens can mobilize together and pressurize politicians to stop unpopular actions but Ghanaians only know how to sit on social media and diss each other based on their party affiliation.
Read his post below…
A lot of Ghanaians are upset, which they have a reason to be, that the United States government has entered into some sort of Military arrangement with the government of Ghana concerning the “set up” of US military bases or usage of same provided by Ghana.
The agreement reportedly states among other things that:
“If a US Army personnel commits any war crime in Ghana, the country cannot use its laws to prosecute him or send him to any international court, he is ONLY answerable to the American authorities and an their courts.
Another reads: the US soldiers can move around with arms, in their uniforms and with their vehicle number plates as pleased by the Americans, no restrictions whatsoever.”
The bigger problem to me is not the agreement which has already been signed into force by Politicians but how Ghanaians seem to have no hold on their own Politicians.
In the UK or United States itself, the masses, if in total disagreement with any political move, you would feel real pressure on the government to act or rescind.
In Ghana, it’s just useless social media talks—when majority of those in power do not even how to use social media. How many of our Ministers or Politicians tweet or have even a Twitter account?
What’s more interesting is that: the anger is one sided. The NDC folks are angrily writing while the NPP folks are employing convoluted arguments as rebuttals, in defence of what the opposition says is a bad and unnecessary deal for Ghana.
I have never seen a moment when Ghanaians have jumped the political lines to come to agreement together that an action of the ruling class is not good for the country.
There is always a divide and this divide is not genuinely ideological based or facts based, it’s just party colours based—the reason why the Politicians can’t largely even be bothered.
The masses is the most powerful tool every country has in protecting its interest and enforcing proper administrative checks and balance.
But in Ghana, there is no masses. The masses are inherently politically corrupt, of course, politically stupid too.
And they somewhat ignorantly think that the Political class cares and thinks about them, even in the absence of them wielding any influence or power.
Ghana is sick: and the politicians are not to blame but the citizens, who have failed to hold the politicians accountable.
Do you know the song the Ghanaian politician sings? This one too will pass—our people will support us, no matter what.
That’s the definition of stupidity right there!
The Ghanaian politician in power has a licence to do whatever.
—Chris-Vincent Agyapong