The Ghana Armed Forces says its attention has been drawn to a publication in the Thursday, 14 May 2015 of the Daily Searchlight headed “Tension at Army headquarters over Retired Soldiers Cash.”
According to the public relations of the Ghana Armed Forces the said publication contained several factual inaccuracies which tend to put the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in general and the Military High Command in particular, in a bad light.
A rejoinder signed by the Acting Director Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel E. Aggrey-Quashie noted that the document being carried around by a section of Ex-Servicemen from the mentioned year groups have come to the notice of the Armed Forces.
The statement said that on the 30th of April 2015, the Chief of Staff at the General Headquarters, Maj Gen BG Saagbul led a team of Senior Officers to meet the ex-servicemen of year groups from 1984 to 1989 with regards to the terminal benefits and gratuity of retiring military personnel to meet. The issue of the document in the possession of the soldiers was addressed, said the rejoinder.
The statement noted that at the said meeting, the Chief of Staff, and the other Senior Staff Officers took turns to explain to the ex-servicemen how benefits are calculated for retiring personnel of GAF.
“It is therefore, surprising that after this interaction, some of the Ex-servicemen still think they have been short changed by the Military High Command,” the statement stated. The statement continued that our publication mentioned the Chief of Staff at the presidency, Hon. Julius Debrah (Which we acknowledge was a mistake) and stated that he had nothing to do with the meeting held between the Military high Command and the Ex-Servicemen on 30 APRIL 2015.
The statement concluded that, the Auditor General’s office do not do any deductions before payments are made to the retirees, but rather, the office audits all financial payments from the Armed Forces before they are effected.
In conclusion The Ghana Armed Forces used the opportunity to reassure all retiring military personnel, everything would be done to ensure they receive all their full benefits and entitlements after a meritorious service with the colors.
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