Kofi Ampeah Woode
51 Engineer Regiment (51 Engr Regt), one of the Regiments under the 14 Army Engineer Brigade (14 Engr Bde) of the Ghana Army, commenced preparations to deploy to Tamale.
In August 2024, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) promulgated and established the 14 Army Engr Bde to provide intimate combat engineer support to the 3 Army Commands – Southern, Central and Northern Commands.
The 51 Engr Regt was established and tasked with the provision of engineer support to the Northern Command (N/COMD) of the Ghana Army.
The Regiment, akin to its forebear – the 48 Engr Regt, has the mission to provide a complete range of Combat Engineer Support to the Ghana Army, and other Services (Navy and Airforce), specifically supporting operations of N/COMD of the Ghana Army.
With this mission, 51 Engr Regt – whose area of responsibility is the Northern, Savanah, North East, Upper East and Upper West Regions – would aid the Combat Arms to live, move, survive, and fight, while supporting Government Agencies, Civil and Local Authorities, in order to safeguard national security, and promote national development.
In line with military doctrine and practice, maneuver Units deployed require Close Combat Engineer Support, to enable them live, move and fight, thus the 51 Engr Regt is dedicated to the provision of intimate support to the Units under N/COMD.
The deployment of the Unit to Ghana’s North implies an enhancement of Force Protection for all troops deployed on the Northern frontier of the country, providing mobility, counter mobility, survivability and general engineering support, which are the battle environment functions of the engineer regiment.
In peace times, the engineer regiment is required to also provide support to civil and local authorities in support of all national development agenda.
For the afore-stated cause, Commanding Officer (CO), 51 Engr Regt – Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Kofi Poku, over the period paid working visits to the Headquarters N/COMD; 6 Battalion of Infantry (6Bn), 69 Airborne Force (69 ABF), and the Air Force Base (AFB), Tamale, where the General Officer Commanding (GOC), N/COMD received Lt Col K Poku and his team with high hopes, emphasizing on the importance of an Engineer Unit in support of the Command.
Similarly, the CO called on the Chief of Savelugu – Yoo Naa Yakubu Andani.
In line with the establishment of the 51 Engr Regt in Ghana’s Northern Region, suitable areas within the Savelugu-Pong Tamale enclave were reconnoitered for consideration by Higher Command, as the home of the Regiment.
The presence of the Unit in the Tamale is also geared at reducing disaster management response times, as the 51 Engr Regt seeks to collaborate with the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and other local authorities, in disaster preparedness and response.
Credit: RELATIONS OFFICER, 51 ENGR REGT
