Stay out of politics – President of the Armed Forces

General News of Saturday, February 23, 2019

Source: ghananewsagency.org

2019-02-23

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo stressed the need for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to remain a neutral instrument of the state.

He said it was in the interest of the entire Ghanaian population that the armed forces retain the neutrality and professionalism guaranteed by the country's constitution.

Speaking to a crowd of GAF officers, men and women on Friday at the Burma camp in Accra, the president urged military personnel to disregard partisan considerations in the war. Performing their duties.

He reminded them that governments had a limited term of office and that linking the welfare of the armed forces to the government's fortunes at the time was not good for the health of the nation.

"We must ensure that the Ghanaian armed forces remain focused on their core mandate and not an appendage of the ruling party.

"I envision an armed force that fulfills its duty to protect ordinary citizens with the certainty that there would be no interference from the powers that be", a- he declared.

However, he suggested that military members wishing to do politics should resign from office before pursuing this ambition, as stated in the rules and regulations of WAG and the Constitution.

"If some of you want to do politics, partisan politics, the rules are clear, you have to leave the service honorably and pursue your ambition.

The President emphasized that the cohesion and esprit de corps of the army should remain intact in the interest of present and future generations.

The Ghanaians, he said, wanted a professional armed force that was disciplined, motivated and respectful of the rights and freedoms of the population, saying that "we should work together to achieve this goal".

The president also asked the media to refrain from attaching political motives to the professional decisions of the army.

"You should be cautious in your reporting on the army and refrain from attributing political motives to purely professional matters," he said.

The President had previously ordered newly acquired multipurpose vehicles for GAF.

Vehicles included; 50 high-occupancy buses, 40 rigid-hull trucks and 50 Toyota pick-up trucks. The vehicles are part of the government's effort to re-equip the armed forces to enable it to carry out its mandate efficiently and effectively.

The president also commanded the reconstituted GAF ​​Command Mess.

The President badured that his Government would commit to providing the GAF with resources to better fulfill its essential functions of defending the territorial integrity of Ghana and other current and emerging security issues.

He added that the government would ensure that all the problems of manpower, funding for training and infrastructure are resolved when the time comes.