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Defence Minister’s maiden visit to Headquarters, Southern Command |
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 9 April 2013. The Minister of Defence, Mr Mark Owen Woyongo, has paid tribute to the Southern Command and the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) as a whole for working relentlessly to ensure that Ghana remained the beacon of Hope of Africa.
He commended GAF for not allowing itself to be misused and for displaying high professionalism as far as peace in the country was concerned.
The Minister made these assertions during his maiden visit to the Headquarters Southern Command of the Ghana Army at Kpeshie in Accra on Tuesday, 9 April 2013.
Mr Woyongo noted that Ghana had enjoyed peace since she embraced democratic rule and as a result had been touted as a peaceful country. He said the government was appreciative of the good role that GAF was playing to ensure that the people of Ghana continued to enjoy peace. He also entreated the Command to ensure that the peace and security in its area of responsibility.
He assured all that GAF would be well resourced to protect the territorial integrity of the country. He outlined some of the efforts the government had made to retool the Ghana Armed Forces. Amongst them are: vehicles, uniforms, ships for the Navy and aircraft for the Air Force.
Mr Woyongo urged personnel of the Command to be dedicated, work hard and prepare for any eventuality in the face of terrorist and fundamentalists in neighbouring Mali due to Ghana’s participation in the campaign against Islamic extremists. This, he said posed a lot of threat to the nation.
He stressed that government was aware of the efforts GAF was making in the area of control of pollution, illegal lumbering, cross border crimes and illegal mining. He therefore urged the Command in particular and GAF in general to cooperate with other security agencies, particularly the police, to ensure peace in the country.
He however urged troops to be circumspect in the discharge of their duties, especially, utterances in the media; adding that, they should not over react to such unguarded utterances. He stated that, he was working with the Commander-In-Chief and the Ministry of Finance to solve the problems that GAF was faced with, such as accommodation, transport and manpower.
He announced that plans were underway to ensure that all military lands were demarcated and properly acquired to stop the encroachment of military lands. He emphasised that he would give all his support to GAF in the discharge of its roles and all he needed in return was loyalty, hard work and dedication to ensure that GAF remained the best in the Sub- region.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) Southern Command, Brigadier General Martin Koku Gameli Ahiaglo, welcomed the Minister and his entourage to the Command and congratulated him on his appointment as Defence Minister. He pledged that Southern Command, which handled five regions in Ghana, would, continue to be highly professional, disciplined and poised for action to ensure peace in the country.
The Command Operations Officer (COO), Lt Col Jacob Kpierele, briefed the Minister about the Command’s vision, role, internal and external operations and threats, training, administration and logistics. He also outlined the achievements of the Command over the period. He noted that annual exercises were being conducted by the Command, which included Exercise Tigers Path, Land Combat Power Demonstration, and Armed Forces shooting competition.
The Minister inspected a Guard of Honour mounted by troops of the Command. The Minister was accompanied by the Chief Director and other senior officers from the Defence Ministry.
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MATS STRUCTURES WILL BE REFURBISHED MIN FOR DEFENCE |
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9 April 2013. The Minister for Defence, Hon Mark Owen Woyongo has assured Command and Staff of the Military Academy and Training Schools (MATS) at Teshie that dilapidated structures in MATS will soon see a face-lift.
The Minister for Defence made this commitment when he visited MATS, Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) on Tuesday 9 April 2013.
During the visit, General Staff Officer Grade 1 (GSO I) Lt Col Frank Nartey Tei gave a presentation during which he mentioned some of the pressing challenges that impede effective work. He therefore appealed to Mr Woyongo to assist MATS remedy the situation.
In response, the Minister, reiterated that he would put in the necessary measures to address the infrastructural and logistical constraints bedeviling the Schools. He added that, he had tasked a team to work on the demarcation and documentation of all Armed Forces lands to forestall further land encroachment. Mr Mark Owen Woyongo also assured MATS that he would liaise with the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing to resolve the perennial water problem.
“As a follow-up to President Mahama’s decision of upgrading the Ghana Military Academy to a befitting status to churn out the Military Officers, immediate action would be taken by my office to include GMA on the GETFund”, he added.
On logistics matters, the Minister promised to make some funds available to furnish the MATS Conference Hall and to commence work on the Amenity Centre among others.
He commended the Commandant MATS, Rear Admiral Muhammed Munir Tahiru and his staff for the warm reception accorded him and his entourage. Some members of the entourage included the Chief Director, Ministry of Defence (MOD), Mr Emmanuel Tackie-Yarboi and Director Public Affairs (MOD), Col Comfort Ankomah-Danso. |
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Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie hands over office of CNS |
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 5 April 2013. The outgoing Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie, on Friday 5 April 2013 handed over office to Rear Admiral Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro during a colourful ceremony at the Naval Headquarters in Burma-Camp.
Vice Admiral Quashie has been elevated to the high office of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) Rear Admiral Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro was the Chief of Staff (COS) at the General Headquarters (GHQ) Burma Camp. Record has it that this is the first time in the history of Ghana Armed Forces the Chief of Naval Staff has been appointed as CDS.
In his farewell speech, Vice Admiral Quashie mentioned the numerous supports the Ghana Navy has received from the Government of Ghana since his assumption of office 4 years ago. He said 14 ships were augmented in to the Ghana Navy, with the addition of four snake class ships built in China and two Warrior class ships which were retrofitted in Germany and a fast attack Craft donated to Ghana by the Government of South Korea.
“There is so much wealth out at sea but until we are able to effectively create a safe maritime domain and stakeholders are able to conduct their business in a sound environment, we shall not be able to harness this wealth” he emphasized.
He reiterated that the oil field must be protected to enable the country to generate some wealth through taxes while Ghanaians would equally have a direct reflection of its benefits.
The CDS urged personnel of GAF to be disciplined because it was the bedrock of greater achievements. Additionally, he encouraged them to remember that they were ambassadors of this noble service therefore every effort must be made to protect and project the good name of the service.
He expressed his appreciation to those who in diverse ways were loyal, hardworking and professional to elevate the Navy and GAF in general to its current status. He asked them to extend the same attributes to the incoming Chief of the Naval Staff.
Delivering his acceptance speech, Rear Admiral Biekro pledged to be honest, transparent, hardworking and above all fair and just to all, for a cohesive and highly motivated Navy, which is operationally efficient and effective. Rear Admiral Biekro called for cooperation, support, loyalty, commitment, discipline and hard work so that together they can build a Navy which is desirable by all.
He noted that maritime security dynamics of present generation has greatly changed and therefore needed a transformational change to remain relevant in the scheme of operations. He was therefore inspired by the ambitious agenda Vice Admiral Quashie defined to reposition the Ghana Navy as the lead maritime security organisation in the West African sub-region.
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 5 April 2013. The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Lt Gen Peter Augustine Blay, has finally bid farewell to the Ghana Armed Forces after 43 years of service to the GAF and the nation. During a pulling out parade organised in his honour on Friday, 5 April 2013 at Burma Camp, he urged personnel to continue to uphold the current status of the GAF as one of the finest on the African continent.
Delivering his farewell message, Lt Gen Blay noted the need for GAF to remain the surest guarantor of sovereignty, peace and stability to Ghana and to other sister countries in the increasingly dangerous and complex risk and territorial threats. He said collaboration, coordination and co-operation with the civil police and sister security agencies, domestically, regionally and internationally are critical in dealing effectively with these threats.
He reiterated the need to deepen and strengthen the GAF’s participation in wider peace support operations under the auspices of the United Nations.
“If we do these things, coupled with constant scanning of our environment and the global environment, and put in place the appropriate structures and plans, backed by the requisite training, we should be able to stay ahead of any emergent threat and risks; and continue to assist to provide the needed peace, stability and security for the accelerated development of the country,” he said.
In addition, the out-going CDS urged personnel to be steadfast and resolute in the constitutional mandate of defending the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ghana by land, sea, and air.
He accordingly noted that these could only materialise through the investment of quality leadership with essential confidence, support, cooperation, loyalty and commitment. He lauded the efforts of the newly appointed Chiefs of Defence Staff, Army Staff and the Naval Staff for their display of competence, loyalty and unflinching support while he was in office.
Lt Gen Blay earlier expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, and the government for giving him the opportunity to serve at the highest level of the Armed Forces. He was also appreciative of the moral and material support and professional advice he received from the President throughout the period of his service.
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9 April 2013. The Minister of Health, Madam Sherry Ayittey has paid glowing tribute to the staff of the 37 Military Hospital for their ability to contain the mounting pressure and huge influx of patients to the hospital due to the industrial strike by Doctors and Pharmacists in the country.