Kofi Ampeah Woode
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) – Vice Admiral (V/Adm) Seth Amoama, has visited the Three (3) Service Headquarters of GAF – Army, Naval and Air Force – at Burma Camp, to express gratitude and felicitations to the Army, Navy and Air Force Commanders, and their Staff, for supporting his Administration through the year 2023.
The CDS, in the company his Chief of Staff (COS), General Headquarters (GHQ) – Major General (Maj Gen) Nicholas Peter Andoh; his Deputy for Administration – Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Michael Appiah-Agyekum; and the Military Assistant to the CDS – Colonel (Col) Kusi-Appiah, paid the visits on Wednesday 3 January, 2024.
He wished Maj Gen Thomas Oppong-Peprah – Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Rear Admiral (R/Adm) Issah Adam Yakubu – Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), and AVM Frederick Kwasi Asare Bekoe – Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), and their Staff Officers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, after communicating the Commander-in-Chief of the GAF’s commendations to the Services, for the work input to ensure a peaceful, secured and stable nation.
Admiral Amoama also commended the Three Services for the work done in support of the Military High Command and the Government of Ghana, as he expressed the wish that in 2024, they would continue to do more, even if less resources are available, and reaffirm their loyalty and commitment to peace and security, especially in another year that Ghana enters a very critical general election.
He further noted that by all indications, in Ghana, 2024 portends heightened tension between various parties, and thus counts on efforts of GAF and other Security Services, to maintain a peaceful atmosphere during campaigning, voting and after elections, such that the citizenry can exercise their freewill to elect their leaders, in a very free and fair manner.
Taking over from his CDS, General Andoh highlighting a number of administrative notices and developments at the GHQ level, and cited new developments amongst which include; 1) the release of funds by Presidential Approval for the efficient functioning of the Critical Care Medical Centre; 2) Estimates being approved to revamp Departments at the 37 Military Hospital (37 Mil Hosp), such as the Physiotherapy Department;
He continued with 3) Challenges with the theatre is to be addressed with the installation of a modern one; 4) a monocular lab behind the American facility at 37 Mil Hosp is to be established; 5) Eight (8) forty footer containers have been released to the hospital for the construction of the laboratory, to be completed by the end of February – meaning that all tests hitherto done outside the military hospital, would be at the hospital, for better information control.
6) A new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine is to be installed and the old decommissioned; 7) Clearance obtained for the recruitment of staff to support the Critical Care Centre; 8) Clearance obtained for the recruitment of staff for the National College of Defence Studies; 9) Commencement of the construction of a permanent place for the College in good time, towards subsequent courses being run.
10) the CDS commissioning a Welfare Scheme for Defence Civilian Staff, which has taken off; 11) System put in place for Pensions payments to widows to be fast-tracked – from 4 years to 6 months, working towards 3 months; and 12) Efforts towards the establishing of military cemeteries across garrisons.
At the Army, Naval and Air Force Headquarters, the Chief Staff Officers (CSOs) – Brigadier General Barima Brako Owusu, Commodore Prosper Modey, and Air Commodre Eric Yirenkyi, respectively, their Deputies and Staff Officers, joined their Service Commanders to enthusiastically welcome the CDS, who took time to warmly ‘pump’ individual hands, affectionately mentioning individual names.
The CDS later toured the Defence Financial Comptroller, Department of Information Technology, Department of Legal Services, GAF Travel Office, and the Directorate of Ordnance Services.
Admiral Amoama has administered Ghana’s Military under the vision: “To become highly professional, cohesive, modernized, formidable and responsive Armed Forces, with a posture to deter any contemporary threat to the nation, emanating from within or external sources”.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
