|
What exactly compelled
Ghana to accept the two Gitmo ex-detainees?
By Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor
Friday, January 15, 2016
Folks, we have already bared our teeth to bite the Mahama-led
administration for agreeing to settle the two former
detainees of the Guantanamo Bay in Ghana. And we now know
from President Mahama's slip-up that they are based in
Takoradi. Why Takoradi? And how does the government expect
the residents of Takoradi to receive the news of these
Yemeni undesirables being accommodated in their midst?
Much is emerging for us to continue to question the
rationale behind the deal. President Mahama has denied
rumours that he and his administration took 300 million
Dollars as kickback from the deal. Fair enough, for as long
as no one can come up with any documentary evidence on the
deal to that effect. But it doesn't stop tongues from
wagging. Thus, the question being asked is: What exactly
necessitated our government's willingness to harbour the two
Yemeni undesirables (or any other not put out there in the
public domain)?
Let's re-frame these questions: What is the benefit to Ghana
for agreeing to host these undesirables? Certainly, nothing
to do with "compassion" or "altruism" because Ghanaians have
no connection with Yemen to warrant anybody from there being
sent into the country to be catered for at the expense of
the system. So, what is the sense in bringing these people
to Ghana?
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration
(Hannah Tetteh) has tried to defuse everything, making
pronouncements to calm nerves but not succeeding in any way.
She is clearly reducing everything to absurdity. The more
she opens her mouth, the more she raises disturbing
questions. And she isn't even positioned to answer those
questions. Who, then, will do so to set Ghanaians at ease?
Terrorism is nobody's play thing!!
Eventually, Hannah Tetteh is saying that she wasn't even
privy to all that transpired in the negotiations to have the
ex-detainees relocated in Ghana. Who is privy to all that
happened? We need more information so we can unpack
everything to ensure that no one plays any fast and dirty
game on/with us. We may be poor but we are happy to be
peace-loving people.
More lies are being unearthed. We were initially told that
the burden of supporting the ex-detainees would be solely
borne by the US only for it to be debunked by a high-ranking
and well-informed US official who said that Ghana will bear
part of the cost. Why should it be so? What does Ghana hope
to reap from this deal, bearing part of the cost for hosting
these Yemeni undesirables?
As if we are not already "tortured", the matter has assumed
political and religious dimensions, which we will unpack to
know their dangerous ramifications for the country,
especially in this volatile Election 2016 period.
While the NPP has condemned the government for pandering to
the US' interests, it is comfortable that its flagbearer,
Akufo-Addo, is silent over the matter and that he will be
better off not commenting on it. Those in the NDC (apart
from Hannah Tetteh and President Mahama) have chosen to keep
their mouths sealed, clearly because they don't want to
expose the government's underbelly for attack. But they
would be better off doing so, especially now that the matter
has given Ghanaians another window through which to view the
government's intents and purposes.
Meantime, the matter is gathering storm at the religious
front, which is dangerous for the country. While the
Christian Council of Ghana is at the government's throat for
showing compassion to "Muslims" and asking that all
prisoners in Ghana be released to prove that the government
is compassionate, something different is coming from the
Muslim front.
The national chief Imam, Alhaji Nuhu Sharubutu, is reported
to have urged Ghanaians, especially the Muslim community,
"to accept the detainees on humanitarian grounds because
accepting to receive and protect the two Gitmo detainees was
in line with the Islamic mission of compassion and
humanitarianism. " (See
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Gitmo-saga-Hana-Tetteh-raps-Chief-Imam-407633).
The Daily Guide newspaper, which reported that the National
Chief Imam (90 years old) made the call after interacting
with Hannah Tetteh, had sought to create the impression that
the Foreign Affairs Minister had "awed" Alhaji Sharubutu. In
the common parlance, "awing" could mean many things, one of
which is "bribe" or something to that effect. It means that
the National Chief Imam's palms had been greased for him to
go that way. I don't know what happened because I wasn't
there; but I can infer from the tone of the news report to
guess the way I want to. Anybody else can do anything on
that score.
We are seeing the seeds of religious conflict being sown.
That is the potential danger for Ghana. Forget about
anything else and concentrate on why the conflict between
Christians and Muslims could become the powder keg on which
the country is being placed. We already know how religious
sentiments have featured in our national and local politics.
Is it really necessary to widen the scope to this level in
terms of the Yemeni undesirables?
We already have too much internecine warfare, social
unrests, and many others provoked by chieftaincy and land
disputes or ethnic conflicts. And there are many flashpoints
of trouble all over the country to scare the people. Why add
that of religion and terrorism to it? And why complicate
matters by bringing into the country those who have no
traditional roots in Ghana? Why, oh, why?
Be it what it may, the questions that emerge are daunting:
What exactly does Ghana hope to benefit from this deal to
move it forward as fast as is needed to solve the
existential problems facing the citizens? Why would the
Mahama-led administration go this way if there is no reward
for the country (especially now that we know that the cost
of keeping these Yemeni undesirables in Ghana will not be
borne by the US alone but also by Ghana?) What is the
reciprocal benefit to Ghana? And why should these
undesirables tainted as terrorists be given this prominence
to the disadvantage of Ghanaians? Many more questions
abound, which will feed this deal into national politics and
harm the NDC's interests!!
Here, then, comes the real issue of international relations
dimension. If the Mahama-led administration can't stand its
grounds to prevent these undesirables from being dumped
on/in Ghana, what guarantee is there that it can act
judiciously to secure Ghana's interests against being
undermined? Let us not deceive ourselves that the mere fact
that Ghana's territorial integrity has not been undermined
over the years means it can't ever be. Entering into deals
of this sort prepare the grounds for future trouble!!
Folks, this matter is not as slight as is being portrayed by
the government and its lackeys defending it. That is why it
will be politically sensible for the government to go beyond
where it is now to level with Ghanaians. If it deceives
itself that it can easily brush it under the rug, it will be
setting itself up for more woes than it is prepared for. And
public intellectuals like us doing the yeoman's job of
raising pertinent issues to boost public discourse won't sit
down unconcerned. We will talk, no matter what!!
The basis for apprehension about this deal should be clear
by now. Now that the battle line is drawn between Christians
(at least as represented by the strident criticisms of the
Christian Council) and the Muslims (as portrayed by the
pacifist stance of the National Chief Imam), we expect the
issue to break all bounds and become more contentious than
it has been so far. Is this what President Mahama wants at
this point when there are already more pressing existential
problems weighing down heavily on his administration to make
him lose sleep? Inconceivable. Inadmissible. Woebetide those
in authority today who take the people for granted!!
I shall return…
• E-mail: mjbokor@yahoo.com
• Join me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/mjkbokor
to continue the conversation.
|
