It’s shameful that soldiers are now ‘errand boys’ for politicians, pastors – Prof Gyampo

Political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo has said that professional army commanders must be ashamed that soldiers are being turned into errand boys for politicians, the wealthy, and some pastors.

He stressed that if the army commanders got to their positions on merit, then they should be monumentally ashamed.

It is not uncommon to see soldiers acting as bodyguards for prominent persons and high ranking “men of God”, especially during public events. These soldiers have been seen performing duties that many consider demeaning and inimical to the dignity of the military.

For Prof. Gyampo, the top brass of the Ghana Military must be ashamed of the sad development gradually becoming a norm of late.

“The attempt to turn soldiers into errand boys of civilian appointees, private citizens, and 'small boy magicians' parading as pastors, should be a monumental shame to any professional Army Commander whose appointment was based on meritocracy,” he stated.

Prof Gyampo minced no words in criticising the military when a picture of a soldier holding the bag of a private legal practitioner, whom he was guarding at the premises of the Supreme Court, emerged online.

He noted that such unbefitting use of the military has the potential of demoralizing officers of the Ghana Police Service who are supposed to do such duties while lowering the public respect of the military as defenders of the country’s territorial integrity.