Military Retiring Young Officers

Credible information available to The SPYder indicates that the Ghana Armed Forces is retiring some seven top officers, all colonels to pave way for the promotion of ‘cronies’ of President Nana Akufo-Addo who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

According to  The SPYder’s military sources, senior officers mostly Brigadier Generals some of them over 60 years, way beyond their mandatory retirement age are still at post as they are perceived to be loyalists of the President and sympathizers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

These Brigadiers our sources say will soon be promoted to the rank of 3-star generals under the guise of expanding the country’s military. The promotion will also see the Chief of Defence Staff become a 4-Star Lt. General in a logistically deprived armed forces with just a little over 16,000 men.

Major General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, currently Chief of Army Staff of the Ghana Army, has been cited as the brain behind the move to get the NPP loyalists to remain in the force through the creation of phony brigades.

The Colonels numbering seven in all, who are being processed to go home, have been labeled as sympathizers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Strikingly, all of them are from the Volta Region. They include; Col. Asem, Col Dargbe, Col. Amegashie, Col. Ahelie, Col. Gbedawo, Col. Kemetse and Col. Ahonku.

The aforementioned colonels according to our sources have all gone for exit interviews and will soon be packing out of military facilities.

What is interesting is that, most of them were due for promotion to the rank of Brigadier Generals, but their superior officers allegedly deliberately sat on their promotions to have them sent home on compulsory retirement at the age of 57.

After their departure, their juniors who had been promoted to the rank of colonels will then be made Brigadier Generals, because they are perceived to be NPP loyalists our source revealed.

Shockingly, while depriving the seven colonels their promotion, one Col. Emmanuel Baidoo Acheampong, who is 58 years old, a year older than them, was sent on a course in the US, and reports from the military circles is that, he would soon be made a Brigadier General to stay in service to  impart what he learnt in the US.

Interestingly, although Col. Asem, went to a War College in Nigeria for a course, GAF, has not found that course useful to have him promoted to the rank of a Brigadier General, just like Col Emmanuel Baidoo Acheampong and make use of what he learnt.

This is happening at a time when some officers, have long gone above their mandatory retirement age to go home, but are being kept on contracts.

They include Brigadier General Amoah Ayisi, who is 60 years, but had his service extended, Brig Gen. Moses Aryee, who is 61 years, was given an extension and Brig Gen. Gyane, who will attain 60 years in December.

Among the officers billed to be moved from the rank of a Brigadier General to Major General, is Brig Gen. JP Osei-Owusu, an ordnance officer without any known degree aside his sixth form certificate.

But he is billed to become Major General and sent to man a unit called TRADOC, although per the GAF regulations, he should have retired at the rank of a colonel. He is mentioned to be a good friend of Major General Oppong-Peprah.

Also on the list is Brig Gen. RA Gyane of Base Workshop; a military mechanic shop. He is to be promoted to the rank of a Major General. He is to go to Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Centre after the promotion, although he has never taught before.

Brigadier General Joseph Aphour, the General Officer Commanding of the Central Command and President Akufo-Addo’s Aide de Camp, Brigadier General Bismark Onwona, were also mentioned as part of those to benefit from the promotion to the rank of Major Generals.

Concerns are that President Akufo-Addo, has given the Armed Forces to Major General Oppong-Peprah, otherwise creating Brigades is a different ball game.

To some of the insiders, if he wants to create brigades under a command, then he should be doing it under all commands.

Other reports are that, there are schemes in the Northern Command to promote one Brig Gen. Essien to 2-star, so that Major General Oppong-Peprah, will groom him for future appointments.

Many are wondering, if what is going on was part of the restructuring approved by the Armed Forces Council or these are to position officers in preparation for Election 2024.

“It appears anytime the Army HQ lacks justification for a particular promotion or appointment of a loyalist, they go on a shopping spree trying to create brigades and units   which are national, in order to promote some good for nothing officers”, one officer remarked.

Currently, the Ghana Army is less than 11, 000 men with the Northern Command not up to even a brigade, as it is short of about 2000 officers and men.

The Ghana Air Force is less than 2500 and only has a transporter aircraft and two helicopters; woefully inadequate for an armed forces.

The Ghana Navy, is also less than 2500, and doesn’t have a warship and any sophisticated vessels for naval operations.

Many in the forces feel that efforts should rather be concentrated at improving the logistical situation of the military, rather than the naked partisan politics which has taken root in the institution with old and tired officers kept in uniform on the basis of their sympathies to the ruling party.

By Efo Kojo Mensavi