Rt. Hon. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to appear before the august House of Parliament in this Second Meeting of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament to respond to the question asked by the Honourable Member of Parliament of Assin South.
Honourable John Ntim Fordjour seeks to understand the rationale behind the termination of all Fifteen (15) Major Generals (2 Star) and equivalent and above in the Command of the Ghana Armed Forces following the appointment of a Brigadier General (1 Star) as Acting Chief of
Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Mr. Speaker, within the constraints of confidentiality and secrecy that guide the Ministry of Defence, I proceed to specifically respond.
Mr. Speaker, in answering this question regarding “rationale”, I will draw on three themes:
• The purpose of the Ghana Armed Forces,
• Precedence within the Ghana Armed Forces, and
• Regulatory Framework.
The Purpose of the Ghana Armed Forces
Mr. Speaker, the utmost need for the Ghana Armed Forces to at all times protect the territorial integrity of Ghana as well as ensuring the protection of life and property is the fulcrum on which our decisions and interventions stand.
This being the case, following my appointment as the Minister for Defence by the President of the Republic and Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces – HE John Dramani Mahama – we have striven to implement measures aimed at improving service efficiency of the Ghana
Armed Forces.
In the pursuit of this rationale – service efficiency – we have been guided solely by the patriotic purpose of safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial Integrity of our dear Nation Ghana; securing our democracy; as well as ensuring the protection of life and property.
Additionally towards the goal of service efficiency, we have been mindful at all times of the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world in which we operate. The world today comes with its attendant threats to democracy, border vulnerabilities, illicit activities such as
smuggling and Human trafficking, susceptible coastlines (piracy and sea-borne crime), Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU), Cybersecurity threats, violent extremism, terrorism, illegal mining, chieftaincy disputes, conflicts between herdsmen and local communities, among
others.
Precedence within the Ghana Armed Forces
Mr. Speaker, in pursuing service efficiency we relied on the time-tested precedence that has ensured the sustainability of the Fourth Republic. Precedence following the transitions from President Jerry John Rawlings of blessed memory to President John Agyekum Kufuor to President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills (also of blessed memory) to President John Dramani Mahama to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, served as a guide.
As an illustration (Major Generals are released at 63 and Lieutenant Generals are released at 65):
• In 2001, after a change of government, Six (6) Major Generals and Four (4) Lieutenant Generals were released from the Ghana Armed Forces with their ages running from 56 to 62.
• In 2005, there were Seven (7) Major Generals – Mr. Speaker, in this instance none of them were near their compulsory retiring age of 63 – in the Ghana Armed Forces.
All of them were released. I mean ALL of them were released unlike in our case where some have remained and are serving in valued and enviable capacities presently.
• It is instructive to note that when all the seven Major Generals were released in 2005, a Brigadier General was appointed as the CDS.
• In 2009 after another change of government, there were Six (6) Major Generals.
Similarly, all of them were released and a Brigadier General was appointed as the CDS.
• In 2017 and 2021, there were selective releases of the Major Generals, some of whom had not reached the compulsory release ages (details attached).
Tables Summarising SOME Releases (some less than 63 years)
The Need to Answer The Wrong Question Asked
Mr. Speaker, let me be abundantly clear. Even though Rev. John Ntim Fordjour alludes to the termination of “all Fifteen (15) Major Generals (2 Star) and equivalent…” I must state that, the Honourable Member of Parliament for Assin South got his question wrong. Respectfully, if the
wrong question is not corrected it can mislead the public since the cameras are here.
Here are the facts:
• Eight (8) Major Generals (2 Star) had reached the point to commence their terminal leave pending compulsory retirement.
• Four (4) Major Generals (2 Star), aged between 60 and 62 years are to be released prior to their mandatory retirement age (63) in accordance with GAF Regulations and precedence (norms and practices).
• Mr. Speaker, let me add, Major General Irvin Nii-Ayittey Aryeetey who is among the eight (8) is being sponsored in the rank of Lieutenant General to compete for the high office of Military Adviser, office of the Military Affairs of the Department of Peace Operations at the Assistant Secretary General Level at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, U.S.A.
Mr. Speaker this means altogether twelve (12) Major Generals out of which eight (8) were due for their terminal leave prior to compulsory retirement will be released from the service sometime in December 2025 and January 2026, save for Major General Irvin Ayittey
being appointed at the UN.
Mr. Speaker in the spirit of transparency and accountability, I wish to account for the whereabout of the three (3) Major Generals who are not on terminal leave pending compulsory retirement in order to settle this issue comprehensively and exhaustively:
1. Maj Gen Robert Affram – Is serving currently as Deputy Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS),
2. Maj Gen Anita Asmah – Is also serving currently as Force Commander, United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), and
3. AVM Felix Asante – Has been appointed as the Acting President, National Defence University (NDU) in Ghana.
Regulatory Framework
Mr. Speaker I respectfully submit that the C-in-C is mandated by Article 212 of the 1992 Constitution to appoint the Chief of the Defence Staff and Service Chiefs, acting in consultation with the Council of State. I am happy to report that HE President John Dramani Mahama complied with the mandate.
And as already posited, precedence in both 2005 and 2009 supports the appointment of a Brigadier General as the Chief of the Defence Staff.
Mr. Speaker, let us bear in mind that the current Chief of the Defence Staff is in the same intake as the immediate past Chief of Air Staff (CAS) who is a Three Star General and his immediate predecessor (CAS) who was a Two Star General.
Conclusion
Mr. Speaker, let me assure that this process to release the Generals is rooted in the relevant regulatory and historical framework of the Ghana Armed Forces to promote service efficiency as we reset Ghana and work with patriotic zeal to continue to implement measures that will safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our dear Nation Ghana; secure our democracy; and ensure the protection of life and property.
Thank you very much Mr. Speaker
