You become an endangered species when there is a coup - Bernard Mornah replies Chief of Defence Staff

A former chairperson of the People's Convention Party (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has replied a statement by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, on the Ghana Armed Force not being interested in a coup.

According to him, most of the military takeovers that have been seen were organised by the military personnel in lower ranks and not their leadership.

Mornah, who made these remarks in an interview on UTV on September 18, 2023, added that the leadership of the military even come under threat during coups because they are seen as being part of the problem.

“CDS we hear you but we don’t think that you would stage the coup. We know that when coups are coming you would not stage them. In fact, you would be an endangered species when there is a coup.

“For you the leaders in the army, when things are going wrong and the other ranks see that you are not interested in their welfare, you become an endangered species when there is a coup. Some put things in order so that the other ranks can also feel that they are part of the military,” he said.

The former PNC chairman added that the CDS should rather focus on improving the livelihood of army personnel so that they do not become aggrieved.

“The leaders at the top get free accommodation, they have free cars, free drivers, they have free coupons. They virtually get everything free... The other ranks, they don’t get anything, they don’t have houses… when they are going home, you just parcel them and give them their retirement benefits. What is the CDS doing to ensure that the other ranks don’t go home as a very disappointed group of people who wasted their 20 or 30 years within the service?” he noted.

What the CDS said:

In the wake of coups d'état across the West African subregion, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, stated that the military under his leadership was not interested in assuming governance.

His statement came during a meeting with the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) during a courtesy visit aimed at strengthening the relationship between the military and the media.

Vice Admiral Amoama's reassurance was prompted by concerns expressed by the GJA President regarding the rising occurrences of coups in neighbouring nations.

In response, the CDS stated, "When you hear of coups and things like that, you should be assured that the Ghana Armed Forces we have today is not interested in leading governance,” gbcghanaonline.com quoted him to have said.

The Chief of Defence Staff reiterated the importance of democratic processes and urged citizens to exercise their electoral power responsibly.

"After all," he remarked, "if we think that somebody in charge is not doing well, we have four years to use the power of the thumb, and I think that is what we should do."

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