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The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has advised the government to endeavour to provide the needs of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to ensure that the country maintains its peace and avoids dissent among the service men. He said the GAF had, over the years, played a key role in maintaining peace in the country and had always been the first port of call whenever there was any trouble in the country. Otumfuo Osei Tutu made the call when the Defence Minister, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. The minister was accompanied by the General Officer Commanding the Central Command, Brigadier-General Joseph Adu-Boampong, and the Commanding Officer of the Fourth Garrison, Lieutenant Colonel Salifu Fuseini. Otumfuo Osei Tutu said what most people knew the GAF to be engaged in was peace-keeping, saying they had excelled in doing that. �But we know they have been doing a lot behind the scenes to sustain the peace of the country and also the fight against illicit drugs,� he added. He expressed gratitude to the officers and men of the GAF for their dedication to service, which has helped to make the country an oasis of peace in the midst of turbulence in the sub-region. For the GAF to continue to deliver on their mandate, the Asantehene stressed the need for the government to ensure that all their needs were met to enable them to discharge their functions effectively. He, therefore, asked the minister to ensure that the demands of the military were handled appropriately. Otumfuo Osei Tutu said although the Defence Minister did not have a military background, he was sure that the minister would be able to perform the task assigned to him creditably, owing to his vast experience in defence and politics. He attributed the peace in the country to the good training the military had been receiving and urged the leadership of the GAF and the Defence Ministry to continue to give soldiers the best of training, �so that we all enjoy the benefits�.