Latest military publications sighted by DAILY GUIDE seem to lend credence to the fears harboured by many Ghanaians that there is a grand design by the current government to stifle the military on certain political and tribal lines, as what is described as the ‘mother of all promotions’ is set to be released.
The paper can reveal that Lt. Col. Patrick Leba-Kamanya (GH/22360) has with immediate effect been appointed Security Coordinator for the Kotoka International Airport.
It has also been revealed that Colonel A.K. Klobodu (GH/1763) is to become the new Director General, Plans and Development of Ghana Armed Forces. He is to be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, and billed to take over from General H. Nana Acheampong (GH/1520), who was appointed by former President J.A. Kufuor on 6th January 2009, a day before he handed over power to Professor Mills.
Also, it has been revealed that Lt. Col. S.B. Alloh is to take up the appointment of Director of Administration at Army Headquarters, replacing Colonel E.N. Opoku.
DAILY GUIDE has gathered that Lt. Col. R.S. Nyaka, who was shot down from a recent Board of Inquiry, by Col. Damoah, former Director, Manpower and Administration, is to be appointed Director of Army Training.
Speaking to the paper, insiders at the Command Headquarters in Accra expressed the worry that the stage may be set for an agenda to give numerical and functional advantage to a particular set of people in the Armed Forces as a whole.
Lt. Col Patrick Leba-Kamanya, for instance, was recorded as having asked former President Kufuor during a durbar with troops at Burma Hall in Burma Camp in October 2008 whether or not he would hand over power peacefully if the then ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost the December 2008 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
He is also credited with leading and organising anti-NPP military officers and men, in and around Burma Camp.
The name also popped up seriously in the media in the wake of the meetings some former past service commanders held at the residence of former President Rawlings.
Even though he was appointed Commanding Officer of the Base Workshop for more than 4 years by the previous government, Col. Leba-Kamanya was reported to have exclaimed that he had suffered under the NPP regime.
Investigations have indicated that the Director General, Plans and Development of Ghana Armed Forces wields a lot of authority and financial power in the Armed Forces, since very lucrative contracts involving huge sums of monies are entered into or negotiated for by the Department of Plans and Development.
These include the acquisition of new vehicles, weapons, equipment for peacekeeping operations and general welfare.ÂÂ
The Department was created under Gen. B.K. Akafia’s tenure as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), and used for various purposes before and up to March 2001.
It may interest readers to know that other DGs of the Department have been Major-General A.K. Abdulai, Brigadier-General E.C. Quist and Brigadier General J.K. Forkuo, all under the NPP Administration. The first Director General of the Department was Brigadier-General W.K. Amanie (GH/1090).
Sources at the Burma Camp say more of such appointments, pregnant with suspicion, are expected soon.ÂÂ
A Daily Guide Report