- Ghana has submitted its instrument of ratification on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) at the UN
- The country signed the treaty in 2017 under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo-led administration and ratified it in the second governance of President John Mahama
- After Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the ratification, several social media users shared their thoughts on the matter
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said Ghana has deposited its instrument of ratification on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) at the UN.
This implies that Ghana is indicating to the rest of the world that it will be a Nuclear-Weapon-Free State.
Photo credit: @okudzetoablakwa
Source: Facebook
Under the terms of the TPNW, Ghana cannot engage in any of the following activities:
- Developing, testing, producing, manufacturing, or otherwise acquiring nuclear weapons.
- Possessing or stockpiling nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
- The use or threat of use of such weapons.
- Allowing the stationing, installation, or deployment of any nuclear weapons in its territory.
In a Facebook post announcing the development, Okudzeto Ablakwa stated that Parliament and the cabinet had unanimously ratified the instrument.
“I commend the Ghanaian Cabinet and Parliament for the unanimous ratification. As I indicated in my UN address, Ghana has been consistent across all political parties in advocating for total disarmament and creating a new world without nuclear weapons.”
“Ghana’s Founder, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, who convened the 1962 World Without the Bomb conference in Accra, would be absolutely proud of this moment,” he added.
The Minister was optimistic that one day there would be no nuclear weapons in the world.
Reactions to Ghana ratifying nuclear weapon treaty
YEN.com.gh collated some reactions to the post shared by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Facebook. Read them below:
Mba Abudi said:
“We’d better start a nuclear campaign for our very survival. Wait until Togo embarks on a nuclear enrichment project. Look at North Korea; no one superpower wants to mess with them. If you don’t, others will.”
Lloyd Amoah wrote:
“Very dubious move. Full of optics, strategically very bad. You have been caught in the matrix and grinning while doing that. Wowwwwww!!!!”
Barnabas Nii Laryea said:
“Imagine Kennedy Agyapong as President and Ghana has nuclear weapons…If Minister is fighting DSTV p3, he will release one uranium-rich warhead and tell the Minister in Twi Gyi nucReaR baako Fama omo showdown🏃♂️ 🏃♂️ 🏃♂️ 🏃♂️.”
Joseph Roberts-Mensah wrote:
“We are nuclear-free because we don’t have the technology. It’s easier and cheaper to commit to non-nuclear engagement than to try to build any sort of capacity. Plus, we already have cheap energy sources and manageable demand. It’s not a sacrifice, and we score cheap brownie points with the Brits, Americans and the rest of those countries with nuclear capability. Also, we stay clear of attack, destabilisation, or even overthrow by those same countries.”
Sulley Laari Musah said:
“Nukes free world is not possible. We should just accept that and plan for the future.”
Frederick Brocke wrote:
“I disagree on this because the world 🌍 is evolving at a faster pace. We should plan ahead of time.”
Alfred Anokye said:
“I can see a lot of people not agreeing with our position. You don’t have to worry about that now. How many treaties hasn’t the USA, UK, Russia, etc signed, but when it suits them, they do otherwise. We must first consolidate our resources to enhance our development and position ourselves for the future. When the time is right, nuclear weapons might be obsolete.”
Source: YEN.com.gh
Source: Yen.com.gh
