Soldiers to now serve 30 years before retiring

General News of Tuesday, 27 November 2018

Source: classfmonline.com

2018-11-27

Soldiers OpsldlThe move is in line with the NPP’s 2016 campaign promise to raise the retirement age for servicemen

The Minority in Parliament is kicking against plans by the government to increase from 25 to 30, the number of years junior ranks in the military will serve henceforth before retirement.

The Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to increase the service years matured on Monday, 26 November 2018.

The move is in fulfilment of the New Patriotic Party’s 2016 campaign promise to raise the retirement age for servicemen by five years.

However, the Minority’s spokesperson on Defence and the Interior, James Agalga, has said that the new law is misplaced and would only weaken the ability of the country’s reputable armed forces.

Contributing to the 2019 Budget debate on the security sector on Tuesday, 27 November 2018, Mr Agalga said the new law is flawed.

“Mr Speaker, a fighting force which is aged cannot have the spirit and efficiency to defend our territorial integrity,” he stated.

He argued that the maximum period of active engagement for service men and women in the United Kingdom is 22 years and that of the United States of America (USA) for the other ranks is 18 years.

To him, Ghana’s hitherto 25 years was even more advanced than the global average and wondered the need for the five-year extension.

Responding to the development, the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, said he disagreed with the assertions of the Minority.

In his view, Mr Agalga lacked proper appreciation of the new law.

According to him, “[Mr Agalga] was part of the committee which looked at [the L.I.] and approved it. It has become law, so, I don’t know what he is talking about and probably misleading the people of Ghana”.

Mr Agalga later told Valentina Ofori-Afriyie on Class91.3FM’s 505 news programme on Tuesday evening that he was not part of the committee that approved the new L.I.

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