Kofi Ampeah Woode
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Ghana Army – Major General (Maj Gen) Bismarck Kwasi Onwona has broken grounds for the commencement of work on the Army’s Quick Impact Projects (QIP) – a new housing initiative as a quick intervention measure, to accommodate about 1,440 Young Soldiers across the Southern, Central and Northern Commands.
The ambitious project commenced with the COAS cutting sod for the project on Tuesday 22 October 2024 at Medo Lines, Burma Camp, Accra, for two 3-storey buildings for 300 Young Soldiers (150 for each block), on a 2.5 acre land.
Expounding the need for the QIP, the COAS said that upon assumption of office, and paying working visits to all commands, being briefed by commanders at all levels, he observed among many challenges, the dire deficient accommodation situation faced by both Officers and Soldiers, with Young Soldiers being worse hit – which was confirmed by a study by staff of the Army Headquarters (AHQ).
He stated the fact that for many years, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has grappled with insufficient living accommodation space in barracks, resulting from inability to systematically add to the existing housing stock, a trend which has been exacerbated by recent expansion drive – which has increased personnel strength by 104% in the last seven years.
He continued to say that per the Terms and Conditions of the Service, Young Soldiers are supposed to live in barracks to facilitate their continuous training, regimentation, moulding, guidance and mentoring, however, the current state of affairs is severely affecting morale, as it limits their planned progression in the Service, and their output at work.
Recent interventions, however, by governments past and present have made considerable efforts at addressing the deficit, particularly through the Barracks Regeneration Project policy, and initiatives by Commanders at various times, he said, have seen the injection of a massive amount of accommodation infrastructure of two-bedroom flats for Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCO), in all garrisons.
The QIP initiative of the COAS will see the construction of ten (10) 144-bed capacity 3-storey blocks in all the commands, designed such that as Young Soldiers progress in career, they get into 2-bedroom units within the same blocks, for each building has been configured into a number of cubicles designed for six Soldiers.
The cubicle could later be converted into two-bedroom unit when they are no longer required for Young Soldiers, as they progress in their career, hence the building would have a multifaceted use to make it more dynamic and efficient.
In each apartment unit would be a living area, a kitchenette, washing areas connected by the utility space and 2-bedrooms, with each bedroom to accommodate 3 Soldiers, hence each apartment would have 6 6oldiers being accommodated.
The project, which would be funded by the Army Headquarters (AHQ), with support from donors, benefactors and friends of the Ghana Army, would have 4 of the structures sited in Southern Command (S/COMD), 2 in Central Command (C/COMD), and the rest in Northern Command (N/COMD) sectors.
Beside these buildings providing accommodation to Soldiers, it would also serve as a stopgap to fast approaching encroachment from shadow areas in the precincts of the commands, with Michel Camp, Volta, Myohaung, Uaddara, Liberation, Kamina, Aggrey, Abilba Barracks, and 155 Armored Regiment, all being allocated sites.
The project office at the AHQ together with the Directorate of Engineer Services (DES) will supervise the project – the 48 and 49 Engineer Regiments will provide work for construction in S/COMD, while 50 and 51 Engineer Regiments will construct the blocks in C/COMD and N/COMD, respectively.
Present at the function were the General Officer Commanding, S/COMD – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Samuel Yeboah Asare; Chief Staff Officer, AHQ – Brig Gen Barima Brako Owusu, Commander, Support Services Command – Brig Gen Selassie Gagakuma; other Generals, Senior Officers, an array of Industry leaders, Officers, Sergeant Major of the Army – Master Warrant Officer Ansah Yeboah Isaac, Regimental Sergeant Majors, Soldiers, and Defence Civilian Staff.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
