The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has announced that the government has approved the payment of long-overdue gratuity arrears to retired military personnel under Constitutional Instrument (CI) 129, ending a standoff that has persisted since 2020.
In a press release issued by the Department of Public Relations at General Headquarters, Burma Camp, Accra, the Armed Forces confirmed that engagements between the Military High Command and the Ministries of Finance and Defence have produced a two-year phased implementation roadmap. The first tranche of payments is scheduled for release by close of business on Friday, February 27, 2026.
A total of 238 officers and 2,155 soldiers, numbering 2,393 beneficiaries in the first phase, will receive arrears calculated under the CI 129 formula. Personnel who retired from November 2020 onwards are covered under the scheme. Full payments will be made in four instalments between February 2026 and December 2027, with all future retirements to be processed directly in line with CI 129 from the point of discharge.
The gratuity formula under CI 129 has been a source of prolonged dispute between retired service personnel and successive governments. Retirees argued that the formula entitled them to significantly higher payouts than they had received, while budgetary constraints and disagreements over the correct interpretation of the instrument stalled resolution for over five years.
The Military High Command expressed appreciation to the government for its commitment to resolving the matter, describing the approval as a step that brings closure and upholds the welfare obligations owed to those who served the nation.
The announcement comes as the government pursues a wider modernisation and welfare drive for the Armed Forces. In October 2025, Deputy Defence Minister Ernest Brogya Genfi pledged an unprecedented retooling programme for the GAF beginning in 2026, covering equipment, accommodation, training infrastructure, and health systems.
Affected retired personnel are advised to liaise with their respective service headquarters for details on the payment process and confirmation of their beneficiary status.
