Kofi Ampeah Woode
It was a literal throng when personnel of the Forces Pay Regiment (FPR) emotionally mobbed their outgone Commanding Officer (CO) – Colonel (Col) Miki Adusei Nkrumah with protracted chants to bid him farewell, when he was pulled-out of the premises of the Regiment, after he transferred authority to Col Roland Yaw Deegbe.
The quite emotional handing/taking over ceremony took place on Friday 16 May 2025, at the Parade Square of the FPR, and was supervised by the Defence Financial Comptroller (DFC) – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Salifu Osumanu, and the Commander, Support Services Command – Brig Gen Selassie Gagakuma.
His arrival at the parade grounds, delivery of farewell speech, and pulling-out of the Regiment, had a large crowd of personnel of the Regiment, cheering Col MA Nkrumah, as he became clearly uncomfortable and insisted to be put down, after some carried him shoulder high amidst chants and cheers, when he disembarked from the pulling-out truck at the entrance.
Col MA Nkrumah, who publicly avows General Thomas Oppong-Peprah (Rtd) as his mentor, is adjudged by all to have made an obviously transformational impact during his 1 year 2 months, 3 weeks and 2 days tenure as CO, FPR.
Speaking to whether he had a template before taking over command, Col Nkrumah answered to the negative, but ascribed his posture as a servant-leader who simply provides solutions to problems, as ‘command is a style’, and his was to place the welfare of Officers, Soldiers and Defence Civilian Staff under his command at utmost priority.
Upon assumption of command, identifying some inadequacies in the provision of welfare packages that support the working conditions of personnel, and providing solutions to address these welfare challenges, he undertook the following initiatives:
1) Provision of drinking water for all personnel in the Unit; 2) Provision of cleaning materials for all offices, which hitherto, was the responsibility of individuals in the various offices; 3) Rehabilitation of the borehole; 4) Provision of water reservoirs to curb perennial water shortages, and ensure adequate water supply to washrooms; 5) Beautification of the lawns;
6) Provision of free Wi-Fi for personnel to have internet connectivity in the office environment; 7) Periodic hospital and home visits to unwell personnel;
Col Nkrumah’s administration also renovated the following; 8) the Administration block; 9) the old Remittance Block; 10) the canteen for personnel and visitors; 11) the dilapidated guard resting point at the Car Park for use by the Unit artisans.
He acquired; 12) new air-conditioners for various offices, bringing relief to personnel who hitherto never had air conditioners in their offices since the establishment of this Regiment in 1953; 13) 4 motorbikes for despatch purposes; 14) 200 desktop computers and 15 printers; 15) 2 new lawn mowers; 16) refurbished 1 old Toyota Pick-Up and 1 Toyota Landcruiser vehicles received from General Headquarters (Plans Research and Development) to support the administrative duties.
17) He replaced malfunctioning old tables and chairs with workstations and swivel chairs of Group 2, Group 3B, Machine Room and Booking Office.
With a vision to demolish all ‘colonial’ structures and reconstruct them into ultramodern one-storey facilities, and to fix the challenge of inadequate office spaces and congestion, Col Nkrumah collaborated with some civilian benefactors to 18) demolish the old Group 3A Block, and rebuilt the 1-storey Enusah Abdulai Block within 6 months.
19) A deplorable wooden structure that used to house artisans of the Regiment was demolished and redeveloped as an Annex Block for the Remittance Group and christened the Ababio Serebour Block, with benevolence from Sir Sam Jonah and Mr Kojo Ansah Mensah of MOBUS Properties.
At the time of handing over, 20) the old Technical Training School building had been demolished and a new 1-storey Archives Block by PHILBRO Group Limited had been roofed, to serve as storage for old files, offices for the Archives Group, the Civilian Administrative Personnel Officer and his staff, offices for the Regimental Quartermaster, and storage of clothing and equipment.
One of the oldest buildings of the Regiment – the Group 3C structure at the Parade Square, 21) was demolished and is being modelled into a 3-storey office complex (at second floor) that will accommodate Group 3C, Cashier, Unit Pay Office and Claims Group; with Mr Michael Zormelo of OMNI Group of Companies, as the benefactor.
With foresight, Col Nkrumah planned for the expansion of the Regiment, and engaged the Military High Command for the ceding of a land space of about 0.7 acre situated behind the western perimeter of the Regiment, for FPR’s planned expansion projects, and has now been fenced and constructed as Car Park, to temporarily provide convenience to personnel and clients.
The DFC called for unity within the ranks of the FPR, urging personnel to perceive changes in the Ghana Armed Forces as one certain function, and to rally behind the new CO for new successes.
Brig Gen S Gagakuma admonished the new CO to be strong as the task ahead of him is huge, bearing in mind that Col Nkrumah has left a huge indelible mark, and also huge projects that have to be completed at all cost.
Present at the ceremony included General Thomas Oppong-Peprah (Rtd); Lieutenant General Joseph Prince Osei-Owusu (Rtd), Serving and Retired Senior Officers, Officers, Regimental Sergeant Major, FPR – Senior Warrant Officer Zakariah, Soldiers and Defence Civilian Staff, family and friends.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
