Defence Minister Visits Gen HQ

Benjamin Kunbuor inspects a guard on arrival at the Command Gate, Burma Camp 

The Minister of Defence, Dr Benjamin Bewa-Nyong Kunbuor, accompanied by his Deputy, Mr. Alex Segbefia, and the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr. Alidu Fuseini, has paid a working visit to the General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces.

He was met on arrival by the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Matthew Quashie, after which the Minister inspected a guard of honour mounted by the Ghana Navy, with the Navy Bank rendering the accompanying music.

The Minister and his entourage were later given a comprehensive brief by the Director General of Plans, Research, and Development, Air Commodore IR Wayoe, followed by a renewal of loyalty by the CDS, on behalf of the military, to the Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), President John Mahama and the Minister, saying that security and the peace of the country were their topmost priority.

The Minister later toured the headquarters of the three divisions –   Army, Air Force and Navy. The commanders of these divisions, Major General Richard Kwame Opoku-Adusei, Air Vice Marshal Samson-Oje and Vice Admiral Godfred Mawuli Biekro, respectively, briefed the Minister at Burma Camp.

At the Army Headquarters, the Director of Army Operations, Colonel Robert Affram, took the entourage through the structure, logistics, manpower, and operations of the division whilst at the Air Force Headquarters, the Chief Staff Officer, Air Commodore Morgan Nyadodui, also briefed the retinue.

Commodore Mark Yawson, Chief Staff Officer, Ghana Navy, was the one who briefed the Minister at the Navy Headquarters. He said that despite the improvements made in equipping the Ghana Navy, the increasing challenges and demands of maritime security had called for the need to bring the Ghana Navy to a more modern standard. He however, described the maritime territory of the nation as safe.

Responding, the Defence Minister said that his tour was fruitful, as it gave him a deeper insight into the workings of the Armed Forces and its challenges. He assured the military high command that he was going to pay immediate attention to those challenges that demanded urgent solutions.

The Minister was later taken on a tour to inspect some self-help projects at the Naval Headquarters. He commended the military high command in general and the Chief of the Naval Staff in particular, on their efforts to develop the military.