Ayamdo is new Army Chief of Staff

President Nana Akufo-Addo has appointed Major General William Azure Ayamdo as Acting Army Chief of Staff.

He replaces Major General Obed Boamah Akwa who has been appointed by the president as Chief of Defence Staff.

“These are fine soldiers and the Ghanaian people should know that I’ve appointed some fine soldiers to protect them,” Nana Akufo-Addo said at the Flagstaff House on Thursday, 9 February when he made the announcement.

He described Major General Ayamdo as an “outstanding soldier of his generation.”

The two will be acting in their respective capacities until the Council of State is constituted to affirm their positions since their appointment is supposed to be done in consultation with that body.

Maj Gen Akwa was appointed Chief of Army Staff on 1 July 2016 by former president John Mahama. He replaces Air Marshal Michael Samson-Oje who is retiring from the army.

Maj Gen Akwa enlisted into the Ghana Military Academy in October 1975. He was commissioned into the Ghana Army as a Second Lieutenant in March 1977 with extensive experience in Global Security, Defence and Strategic Studies. He also has an excellent understanding of the theory and practice of international peace support operations.

He served as the Western Brigade Commander/Ghanaian Contingent Commander with the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Congo (MONUSCO).

Brig Gen Akwa had his basic military training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, United Kingdom from 1976-1977. He has academic qualifications in Global Security (MSc) from Cranfield University, England, 2003; Defence and Strategic Studies (MSc) from Madras University, India, 1977; and Public Administration (Certificate) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, Accra, Ghana, 1989.