The Minister for Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul Friday said Ghana needs to stay together as one entity to help build a formidable and enviable nation that would be admired across the continent.
He therefore cautioned personnel of the security agencies, politicians, journalists and the people of Ghana who use various media platforms including the internet to sow seeds of discord to desist form it in the interest of peace and stability.
Mr Nitiwul who said this during a visit to the three units of the Ghana Armed Forces in Takoradi in the Western Region said “Social media offer lots of positive opportunities, let make good use of it and shun those acts that tends to undermined discipline, security and national cohesion.
He was worried that some individuals within the Forces were destroying the image of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) with distasteful comments on social media adding, “You know yourselves and you know that your actions amounts to security risk, we can’t be dividing the army along political and ethnic lines”.
The Minister ended his two day official visit to the Region after commissioning four ships at the western naval base, with a tour of the Two Garrisons after which he addressed personnel at the Airforce Base in Takoradi.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lt. General Obed Boama Akwa, the Army Chief of Staff, Major General William Ayamdo, Acting Chief of Air Staff, Air Commodore Augustine A. Appiah, and the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Peter Kofi Faidoo and the Commander of the Two Garrison Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Commodore Isaac Osei-Kufour facilitated his duty tour.
Answering questions on the extension of the service, Mr Nitiwul explained that the policy sought to expand troops, create opportunities for employment, space for promotion and also enhance the ranking of the force.
He said the expansion of the GAF, would also enhance promotions thereby increase the number of ranks including Generals, adding that there would be no blockade of progression.
According to him, the size of the Nigerian Armed Forces, allowed upward movement of ranks across all fields and assured that the military command would ensure fairness at all times
Mr Nitiwul said the barracks regeneration was a big project meant to absorb the extra personnel who would be recruited. Lt. Gen. Akwa observed that the act of people using the internet to circulate misinformation about the service, was an act of subversion.
He revealed that “the source of that information was from the rank and file as there had been verification on the date of birth and the manner of the write- up clearly showed the writings of a military man”.
On pensions, Lt. Gen. Akwa explained that soldiers would continue to enjoy it even when they carried on after 15 years, saying “this not a conscript army, is a voluntary army.”
He pledged that the High Command would not take the pay of any soldier, assuring that, “it’s not our call.”
<<Print>>