Ghana says its vote at the United Nations (UN) against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is in consonance with its long-standing principled stand against hegemonic tendencies of big countries that believe they can do whatever pleases them.
The Graphic on Wedenesday quoted President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as stating his country’s strident opposition to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
Coming on the first anniversary since Russia invaded Ukraine of the latter’s attempt to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the pesident explained that Ghana as a founder member of the Non-Aligned Movement had consistently “resisted the idea that the big powers have the freedom to do what they like on this planet. We have never accepted that principle, whether it is the Americans, Russians, Germans, the French or whatever.”
President Akufo-Addo was speaking as the German Ministers of Economic Cooperation and Development, and Labour and Social Affairs, Huberus Heil, as well as the Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Gilbert F. Houngbo, paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House last Monday.
Also at the meeting were the Ministers of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta; Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, and Gender, Children and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu.
“This is something I need to put on record,” President Akufo-Addo stated, and added that the country’s history had been against great power domination of the affairs of the world and that was the reason why Ghana led the fight for independence in Africa.
He explained that it was the same principle that made the country vote against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “and it is a position we will continue to hold and great powers trampling on small nations is not something that we welcome. Within our modest means we will register our disapproval of that”.
President Akufo-Addo said there might be other considerations for Germany, Europe and other countries “but these are the considerations that are of significance to us”.
The President also indicated that his country held the position that the planet existed for all people, the big powers as well as the small, and that hegemonic tendencies and roles of the world should be curbed as much as possible.
He said this guiding principle has something to do with the country’s history.
President Akufo-Addo expressed the hope that the war in Ukraine was going to end soon because it has had a pernicious impact on the country’s economy and many aspects of its national life.
GIK