Kofi Ampeah Woode
37 Military Hospital (37 Mil Hosp), one of the largest Units in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has been handed a 300-bed capacity Young Soldiers’ accommodation facility to help alleviate its dire accommodation challenges afflicting its Soldiers within the hospital.
A commissioning function was held on Wednesday 1 February, 2023, where the Commander-In-Chief (C-In-C) of GAF and President of Ghana – His Excellency (HE) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was the Guest-of-Honour, with an entourage of high-profile personalities from Government and the Military High Command.
In his speech for the inauguration, the C-In-C acknowledged the accommodation and logistical challenges of GAF and recounted how upon assumption of office in January 2017, the Government of Ghana rolled out Phases 1 & 2 of the Barracks Regeneration Program (BRP) and the Military Housing Project (MHP), in January 2017 and 2021 respectively, to help deal with the challenges.
He also said the Government is also striving to complete stalled Social Security and National Insurance Trust/Ministry of Defence projects, commenced in 2016 to add to the accommodation stock, and that those, together with the ongoing accommodation projects will provide some 3000 accommodation units for GAF, and would be the largest provision of accommodation units for Ghana’s Military.
GAF’s Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) – Vice Admiral (V/Adm) Seth Amoama earlier cited the commencement of the BRP which, he said, witnessed the construction and completion of 104 Units of 2-bedrooms flats at Douala Barracks in Burma Camp and 6 Garrison in Tamale. Further, the MHP was initiated in 2021 under the BRP, which saw the construction of 1,052 units of 2-bedroom apartments across all garrisons, after which the MHP will come to an end in March 2023.
The Admiral said the Tri-Service Military, drawing inspiration from the government’s initiative, energized some Formations to play their parts towards reducing the accommodation deficit, and that the 300-bed facility is a yield of that inspiration.
Giving a brief update of the edifice, the Director General, Medical Services, GAF – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Raymond Ewusi said in 2016, then Commander Brig Gen Ralph Ametepi, initiated the construction of the 300-capacity Young Soldiers’ accommodation block.
The project was undertaken by Kuzor Construction and was funded using the hospital’s Internally Generated Funds with support from donor partners, until it stalled in 2018, at 50% completion. Successive Commanders continued the project at a slower pace as and when funds became available, until it was revived in 2021 by the CDS Admiral Amoama.
The CDS made an appeal to JOSPONG Group of Companies – with whom GAF was already in partnership in the area of Fleet Management, Vehicle Maintenance and Construction – to assist with the completion of the project, an application to which the latter obliged as a Corporate Social Responsibility, at no cost to the GAF.
The Executive Chairman, JOSPONG Group of Companies – Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, said his organization, in a bid to give back to society, supports organizations that impact a great majority of the Ghanaian population as it resonates with their corporate mission – which is improving the lives of people.
He said for the past 5 years, JOSPONG have collaborated with GAF, who have been training its Junior and Senior Executives at the Training and Doctrines Command and the Command and Staff College, with drivers being trained by the Defence Mechanical Transport Battalion, whiles Ghana Navy trained the Volta Lake Rescue Staff, ECOZOIL, a subsidiary of JOSPONG.
The complete project which cost JOSPONG GHS 5 million, with finishing contractors being FEDEMS Group, and Consultancy by the Directorate of Engineering Services, consists of 48 rooms, 3 Sitting-Common Rooms, 14 overhead water tanks, 150 bunk beds and mattresses to accommodate 300 persons.
Other dignitaries present included Member of Parliament (MP), Bimbilla and Minister for Defence – Dominic Aduna Bingab Nitiwul, MP Nandom and Minister for Interior – Ambrose Dery, MP Atwima-Kwanwoma and Deputy Defence Minister – Kofi Amankwa-Manu, MP Assin-Central and Chairman, Parliament Select-Committee for Defence and Interior – Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
Others were Service Chiefs of GAF, Chief of Staff, General Headquarters, Senior Officers, Brig Gen Prince Nii Adjah Obodai (Rtd) – former Commander, 37 Mil Hosp, Officers, Forces Sergeant Major, Regimental Sergeant Majors, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, Soldiers and Defence Civilian Staff.
