Government to roll-out housing programme for the military

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Friday said the Government would soon roll-out comprehensive housing programme for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to address the accommodation challenge.

He said under the project, dubbed: ‘‘Barack Regeneration Project,’’ old accommodation facilities would be renovated while new ones would be built to accommodate more military personnel.

He, therefore, asked the military to exercise patience as the Government was putting measures in place to remedy the situation.

The Vice President, who was the Reviewing Officer at the Graduation Parade of the Special Medical Intake Three of the Ghana Military Academy in Accra, said the Government would complete the third phase of the 37 Military Hospital project and upgrade its equipment to meet modern medical needs.

In all, 99 cadets comprising 56 males and 43 females with professional background in nursing, medicine, pharmacy, dental care, and psychology were commissioned into the GAF at a colourful ceremony after undergoing five months intensive training.

The Vice President gave the assurance that other infrastructure needs of the military would receive equal attention and that with the necessary interventions the infrastructure challenges of the military would be resolved.

He said the Government would build another military hospital in Tamale to cater for the medical needs of personnel in the northern sector as it was committed to implementing policies to enhance their wellbeing.

Dr Bawumia said the military had played a crucial role in sustaining the country’s democracy, saying; ‘‘the Armed Forces remained an important pillar in our democratic journey, particularly during the beginning of the Fourth Republic by contributing towards the consolidation of our democracy’’.

He said the military had provided conducive environment for other state institutions to function and, therefore, commended the Military High Command for the invaluable role they played during the 2016 general election.

The commissioning of the cadets into the military, he said, would help resolve the manpower needs of the personnel, especially at the ongoing construction works at the Kumasi Military Hospital, to take care of the medical needs of the personnel in the southern and northern sectors of the country.

‘‘I have no doubt that with the addition of these newly commissioned officers, the Kumasi Military Hospital will have the requisite staff to operate effectively.

‘‘The Government will provide the necessary support to ensure the facility is adequately resourced to augment the several medical facilities in the country,’’ he said.

Dr Bawumia said the Kumasi Military Hospital would be designated as an emergency hospital to cater for emergency situations in the northern part of the country.

The Vice President used the occasion to thank the Military High Command for the prompt response in deploying soldiers to The Gambia to assist in creating a peaceful atmosphere there and ensure the enforcement of the rule of law.

He advised the newly commissioned officers to maintain the pride and the niche the military had carved for itself over the years as a professional and dedicated state institution.

He urged the personnel to continue to safeguard the image and the reputation of the GAF by exhibiting the highest standards of discipline in all their endeavours.

The Vice President presented awards to the cadets that excelled during the training with the Overall Best Cadet going to Junior Under Officer Teng Yengbil Bernard, while Junior Under Officer Lasdji Belinda Narh received the Best Female Cadet Officer and C/SGT Nyarko Dennis was adjudged the Second Best Cadet Officer.