Okudzeto Blasts Obama
GHANA’S DEPUTY Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has taken the American Government to the cleaners over what he describes as a disgusting power game which the USA was playing with Ghana.
He said the situation is so unfair that American Envoys in Ghana would have been repatriated if not for the leadership character of Ghana’s President, Atta Mills.
Mr. Ablakwa expressed annoyance that as part of the power game, the American Embassy in Ghana, for no reasonable explanation, is refusing to grant VISAS to Ghanaian Parliamentarians and top government officials on state assignments to the US.
The Deputy Minister said the only reason why VISAS can be denied is when there are doubts as to whether the person would return to his home country, but in this case, America is only using a sly attempt to twist Ghana’s hand over her recent discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities.
“It is some power game that is being played and it is disgusting and the earlier the US people call those officials down here to order, the better, because there would be no arm twisting. The oil belongs to Ghana.
They also have oil in their shores and they can go and drill theirs. This is ours and we are not going to allow any country dictate to us how we should exploit it and who should benefit from it.
It is the Ghanaian people who own it and they would make that determination as to who benefits,” Mr. Ablakwa stated.
He charged further that though President Obama, in his visit to Ghana, had said what Africa needs is strong institutions and not strong men, it is very hypocritical of the American government to look down on Ghanaian institutions and treat them with derision.
“We need to confront this hypocrisy sometimes and the double talk and all of that,” Mr. Ablakwa added, and expressed regret that despite the situation, Ghana was still treating America with the highest level of courtesy, diplomacy and decorum.
“You think that the African people and the Ghanaian people do not have interests that matter or because we do not have scientific polls that are very loud; we do not have huge media houses like CNN and FOX and others, so we can be taken for granted,” Ablakwa complained.
In recent times, several Ghanaian Parliamentarians and top government appointees who were to attend official assignments in the US had been denied VISAS, with no reasons or explanations given.
The continuous VISA denials have attracted widespread criticism from Ghanaians.
Source: Daily Graphicgh
He said the situation is so unfair that American Envoys in Ghana would have been repatriated if not for the leadership character of Ghana’s President, Atta Mills.
Mr. Ablakwa expressed annoyance that as part of the power game, the American Embassy in Ghana, for no reasonable explanation, is refusing to grant VISAS to Ghanaian Parliamentarians and top government officials on state assignments to the US.
The Deputy Minister said the only reason why VISAS can be denied is when there are doubts as to whether the person would return to his home country, but in this case, America is only using a sly attempt to twist Ghana’s hand over her recent discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities.
“It is some power game that is being played and it is disgusting and the earlier the US people call those officials down here to order, the better, because there would be no arm twisting. The oil belongs to Ghana.
They also have oil in their shores and they can go and drill theirs. This is ours and we are not going to allow any country dictate to us how we should exploit it and who should benefit from it.
It is the Ghanaian people who own it and they would make that determination as to who benefits,” Mr. Ablakwa stated.
He charged further that though President Obama, in his visit to Ghana, had said what Africa needs is strong institutions and not strong men, it is very hypocritical of the American government to look down on Ghanaian institutions and treat them with derision.
“We need to confront this hypocrisy sometimes and the double talk and all of that,” Mr. Ablakwa added, and expressed regret that despite the situation, Ghana was still treating America with the highest level of courtesy, diplomacy and decorum.
“You think that the African people and the Ghanaian people do not have interests that matter or because we do not have scientific polls that are very loud; we do not have huge media houses like CNN and FOX and others, so we can be taken for granted,” Ablakwa complained.
In recent times, several Ghanaian Parliamentarians and top government appointees who were to attend official assignments in the US had been denied VISAS, with no reasons or explanations given.
The continuous VISA denials have attracted widespread criticism from Ghanaians.
Source: Daily Graphicgh
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