Minister of Information, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has refuted claims by some critics that the United States of America will soon colonise Ghana following the signing of a military cooperation agreement between the two countries.

The minister emphasised that the deal is a mutually beneficial pact which does not compromise Ghana’s sovereignty in any way as being suggested by the main opposition National Democratic Congress.

He added that the U.S. has no colony in the world and there is no way Ghana will be a colony.

“America has no colony. Someone should show me one American colony in this world. So why are they talking about of recolonisation [of Ghana]. America does not even have a colony in this world, so, we should be honest in the way we handle issues,” Mr Abdul-Hamid said in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme on Wednesday, 4 April.

He said the demonstration that was organised by the Ghana First Patriotic Front (GFPF) against the agreement, will not change anything because nowhere in the agreement is the setting up of a military base found.

Members of the GFPF on Wednesday, 28 March 2018, staged a demonstration against the ratified agreement.

The protesters, who had the full backing of the NDC, other political parties and some civil society organisations, claimed that the agreement meant the U.S. military will set up a base in Ghana.

Former President John Dramani Mahama threw his weight behind the demonstration. Mr Mahama, in a tweet, said: “I join in declaring #GhanaFirst as my compatriots and other democratic forces converge to demonstrate their opposition to the Ghana/U.S. military agreement.”

But Mr Abdul-Hamid insisted that: “The demonstration won’t change anything because what they are demonstrating against, that is the military base, is nonexistent.”

“Never ever will Akufo-Addo allow a military base to be set up in Ghana, never!”