1,084 soldiers to go home

The Minister for Defence, Mark Owen Woyongo, has revealed that funds have been acquired by government to complete all uncompleted accommodation facilities started by the previous government to shelter personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces.

According to him, those abandoned buildings, when completed, would help solve the accommodation problems currently facing the military. Mr. Woyongo revealed this when he visited the 48 Engineer Regiment at Teshie on Tuesday.

The visit was also use to commission the unit’s regimental headquarters building and interact with men and officers of the unit. He said funds have also been secured to pay off about 1,084 military personnel who were due for retirement but were still at post owing to lack of funds.

“When these soldiers including senior officers also leave, there will be accommodation to shelter you,” he added.

He revealed that government was committed to equipping and resourcing the military to continue to protect and defend the country.

He urged the personnel to be disciplined and professional in the discharge of their duties.

Adding his voice, the Commanding Officer in charge of 48 Engineer Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Mustapha Muhammed, said the newly completed regimental headquarters building was constructed through self-help by the regiment and it took 18 months to complete.

He said the concept of constructing a new RHQ was mooted at a morning briefing session in 2011, when they were tasked to host a 53-man Chinese delegation led by the Minister of Internal Affairs, a four-star general.

“The dilemma was where to brief such a high profiled delegation. A young officer by name Captain Agbenyega who was in charge of renovation of the old regimental block advised that we demolish the block which witnessed a perennial maintenance, and replace it with a storey building complex.”

Lt Col Mohammed said the output of the project was comparable to most high rise buildings built by top class contractors in the country. “It is an indication that we have come of age to be competitive for most of the MOD housing projects undertaken by civil contractors,” he said.