The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is to have a new and modern headquarters for her Army from December 2018 and the government would also start the quest of having in every garrison, a brand new sports stadium, with the maiden construction work of the stadia to start from 6th Garrison in Tamale, in November 2018.
With funds already secured for the huge projects, the Minister for Defence and Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, will cut the sod for the sports stadium project codenamed ‘Commander-in-Chief Sports Stadia Programme’ for all garrisons in the country, the President and Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of GAF, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of 58th mainstream regular course for 138 officer cadets trained by of the Ghana Military Academy (GMA) for GAF on Friday, 19th October, 2018, the President indicated that a lot would be done by his government with the ultimate aim of improving upon the logistical and accommodational requirements of the armed forces.
The C-in-C additionally indicated that government has ordered additional 135 vehicles, including Nissan Hardbody pickups, Toyota Land cruisers, Toyota Land cruiser Prados, Toyota Land cruiser pickups and dispatch motorbikes, to add to earlier vehicles delivered, to improve the transportation facilities of troops, with the vehicles set to arrive in Ghana within two months.
“I have also directed the Minister for Defence to begin the second phase of the project for the asphalting of roads in the barracks,” the President added said also that the ongoing National Barracks Regeneration Project, which was started in Accra and Tamale in June 2018, will be expanded extensively in 2019.
President Akufo-Addo also revealed further that a contract has also been signed for the construction of a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Enzulebu in the Western Region and that in conjunction with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, an order has been placed for six patrol boats for the Navy to help in the protection of Ghana’s maritime resources and oil fields.
With GMA not witnessing any significant development in its infrastructure, since inception in 1960, the President said he had directed the Minister for Defence to start the building of state-of-the-art facilities to meet the requirements of a 21st century training institution and to take immediate steps to wall off the lands of GMA from further encroachment.
“I am reminding you, today, that your commission into the Armed Forces places great responsibility on you to guard against the temptation of using the uniform to intimidate your civilian counterparts, who are your natural partners in the development of our nation and whose taxes provide the means for your sustenance,” the President concluded.
Regular Career Course 58 (RCC 58) is the 58th mainstream regular course to enroll into the military academy.
The course had 100 officer cadets commence training on the 13th of July, 2017 and out of that number, 32 were females, 2 Allied Cadets from the Republic of Guinea, one person released on health grounds, two others on administrative grounds, one other who was regulated to join the next batch (RCC 59), due to medical reasons and 3 others currently under training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, United Kingdom.
RCC 58 spanned a period of 15 months and includes 5 months of standard military course aimed at developing the leadership qualities and military skills of Cadets.
In 2011, approval was given for the training of solely medical personnel namely, doctors, dietitians, biochemists, nurses, dentists, health administrators, psychologists, hygiene officers, nutritionists and physiotherapists with the 2018 intake being the 4th Special Intake, thus at their graduation, 138 were commissioned into various arms of GAF, with 48 of them being females.
Senior Under Officer (SUO) Daniel Opoku Boadu was adjudged the winner of the Sword of Honour award (overall best cadet).
By: Kofi Ampeah-Woode, Teshie Camp