Kofi Ampeah Woode
The President of The Gambia – His Excellency (HE) President Adama Barrow has expressed high commendations to Ghana Company (GHANCOY) serving with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG), for the provision of Escort for him twice, citing the services as a source of pride.
HE President Barrow expressed the sentiments through Ghana’s President and Commander in Chief (C-In-C) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) – HE President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to the ECOMIG GHANCOY 8, when the latter paid a working visit to The Gambia on Friday 12 July 2024, and also visited personnel of GHANCOY 8 deployed at Barra, in the North Bank Region.
In his interaction with troops, GAF’s C-In-C stated his strong connection with ECOMIG GHANCOY, as the Deployment of GHANCOY to The Gambia was his first major decision as the C-in-C, and has therefore, always kept him keen on how the Company fared with the Mission.
He commended the GHANCOY 8 personnel for their conduct within the period, highlighting that everyone he had spoken with, were full of praise for Ghanaian troops, which demonstrates that GHANCOY troops are being good ambassadors of Ghana, through their conduct.
President Akufo-Addo indicated that upon his return to Ghana, his message to his Minister for Defence, Chief of the Defence Staff and the Military High Command, would be the high esteem that the Ghanaian Contingent in The Gambia are held.
The C-In-C assured troops that he had taken note of the various concerns they had raised, and would work judiciously to resolve them, to facilitate the Company’s operations.
He touched on the impending General Elections in Ghana, assuring troops that he would do everything within his capacity to ensure free and fair elections, noting that he believed whoever emerged as the President would continue to serve in the best interest of Ghana.
The C-In-C inspected an Honour Guard on arrival at Barra Camp, the base of the Ghanaian Company, and also met Key Appointment Holders of the Company, the Governor of the North Bank Region, and other local leaders.
The Officer Commanding (OC) the Company, Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Abraham Puoriyelle Dery briefed the President on the operational state of the contingent, expressed gratitude on behalf of the Company to the C-In-C for his thoughtfulness of the Company, and presented a plaque to him, after which he interacted with personnel of the GHANCOY.
With the President for the visit, from Banjul; were Ghana’s Ambassador to Senegal, The Gambia and Cape Verde – HE Mrs Emma Mensah; Head of Mission, ECOMIG – HE Miatta Lily French; The Gambia’s Minister for Defence – Mr Sering Modou Njie; Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration – Mr Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong; and the Force Commander of ECOMIG – Colonel Boubacar Toure.
Credit: ECOMIG GHANCOY 8 HQ
