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LT General Joseph H. Smith, Minister of Defence says the National Democratic Congress administration came to meet the Ghana Armed Forces �in an almost run-down state.� He said �the Armed Forces equipment items were inadequate and dysfunctional as a result of fair wear and tear, and accommodation for soldiers was in a deplorable state.� The occasion was the formal welcoming of Vice President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur to his maiden meeting with the Special Armed Forces Council on Friday in Accra since he assumed in his present role. In a bid to reverse such situation, Lt-Gen Smith says: �A medium term strategic plan was drawn spanning 2009 to 2012 to retool the Armed Forces and improve on accommodation for troops in the Army, Navy and Air Force. This strategic plan has already been presented to the Ghana Armed Forces Council and Cabinet.� Interestingly the Minister�s office in which he hosted the vice President was constructed by his predecessor. The NDC government has not also constructed a single accommodation for soldiers except those they inherited from the NPP administration. Referring to the 1992 Constitution, Gen Smith, who had a bad reputation among men and officers of the Ghana Armed Forces, explained that the sole responsibility of the Armed Forces Council was to help the President of the Republic of Ghana and the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces in the constitutional duty to equip and maintain the Armed Forces. In a speech, Vice President Amissah-Arthur commended the Armed Forces for their hard work during and after the burial of the late President, John Evans Atta Mills. Prior to the meeting, the Vice President inspected a guard of honour and toured the Ministry of Defence�s museum. Members of the Armed Forces Council present at the meeting included Minister for Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration, Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni; Minister for the Interior, William Kwasi Aboah; Chief of Defence Staff, Lt-Gen P.A. Blay; Chief of Army Staff, Major-Gen J.N. Adinkrah; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral M. Quarshie; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall M. Samson-Oje and Forces Sergeant Major CWO Daniel Adu-Yaw. Others were Brigadier General Wallace Gbedemah (rtd), Ghana�s Ambassador to Brazil whom the Ministry of Defence has requested to be replaced; Colonel Letitia Ohene-Kwapong (rtd) and acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Defence, M.K. Offei.