Ghana Peace
In a bid to strengthen the moral and psychological well-being of troops, the Chaplain for Headquarters (HQ) Southern Command (S/COMD) – Reverend (Rev) Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Francis Obodai Lokko, used a Padre Hour of the Command to sensitise soldiers on the dangers of drugs and substance abuse.
The sensitization drive on Wednesday 6 August 2025, at the Command HQ, Kpeshie Ridge, Teshie, forms part of a broader initiative by the Ghana Armed Forces’ (GAF) Department of Religious Affairs (DRA), which has set aside the month of August to conduct a comprehensive campaign against the misuse and abuse of drugs among military personnel.
Rev Lt Col Lokko indicated that in a military profession, which demands clear judgement, physical fitness and spiritual grounding, drug and substance abuse becomes a strategic liability and a national security concern, stressing that drug abuse not only endangers individual lives, but also weakens the operational effectiveness, and reputation of the armed forces.
The Chaplain highlighted common forms of abuse, including excessive alcohol consumption, misuse of prescription drugs, and the use of illegal substances, and then encouraged troops to seek early help if they may be struggling with addiction or mental health issues, emphasizing that the military has systems in place to support, rather than punish.
He mentioned that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and all forms of trauma resulting from operational fatigue, barracks culture and peer pressure, access to prescription drugs and stimulants, family separation and loneliness, as well as inadequate mental health and spiritual support, are contributory factors to the tendency of drug abuse among troops.
Rev Lt Col Lokko, however, encouraged troops to report any drug and substance abuse-related challenges promptly to their immediate commanders, for the necessary professional assistance to be provided, to safeguard the integrity of the individual, as well as GAF, as a whole.
Credit: S/COMD PR DET
