<<Print>>

A Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development says his explanations for the setting up of a �special unit� within the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have been misconstrued by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). On Independence Day, Tuesday, March 6, 2012, the military high command outdoored the Elite Forces and the posture of the officers and their grim faces were reminiscent of the disbanded and hitherto dreaded 64 Infantry Battalion, popularly called Commando Unit, which was under the command of Col. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (rtd), now Acting National Security Coordinator. Described as an elite group made up of personnel drawn from the Army, Navy and Air Force, the soldiers underwent special endurance and weapons handling training programme to prime them for deployment for unique operations and some say the 55th anniversary celebration parade held at the Independence Square in Accra, offered a rare opportunity to the NDC to scare the citizenry judging by the utterances of leading members of the party. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah is reported to have said that the �special unit� was set up to �crush� elements of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) who may want to carry through their �all die be die� mantra ahead of the 2012 polls. And the NPP claims they have been �vindicated� in their position that the governing party has a hidden agenda for the upcoming elections with the introduction of the Special Forces. But speaking in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM�s �Kokrokoo�, the Deputy Minster appeared to be at a loss why the opposition NPP seemed agitated.