BRONG AHAFO & CENTRAL WILL BE WISER!

The peoples and citizens of the Brong Ahafo and Central Regions of Ghana will be wiser than the NDC propagandists think in the December 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. The ethnocentric slogans of John Mahama that “I am one of you” and the “we Northerners are tired of being mates… we Northerners are also ripe for the Presidency and the Post of President is better for Northerners than Vice-President”.

While John Mahama was exploiting ethnocentric sentiments and geographical location of his inheritance to his advantage, he forgot that the same calls have negative boomerang effects against him.

For instance, the people of the Central Region, by John Mahama’s logic, are worse off today than before the well-planned death of the late President John Mills.

The people of Central Region had produced a President in the 2008/2009 Presidential elections. The slogan “Adze wo fie a oye’ used by both Professor JEA Mills and Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom had worked in favour of the Central Region and somehow enabled Professor JEA Mills to become the President to hail from the Central Region. The people of Central Region had realized that they also deserved better than a Vice President and therefore voted massively for their kinsman.

In fact, chiefs from the Volta Region had visited the Central Region, in 2008, in solidarity with their counterparts from the ‘Fanti Land’ to urge them on to vote for President Mills. Atta Mills had tried unsuccessfully on two previous occasions (2000 and 2004) to win the Presidential elections, losing on all those occasions to the Gentle Giant, John Kufuor. Out of sympathy, the people of the Central Region voted massively for their kinsman.

Going by the logic of John Mahama, who reaped where he had not sown, the people of the Central Region should be annoyed with John Mahama. The people of the Central Region have had more Vice Presidents than any other Region.  As an illustration, Dr De-Graft Johnson was the Vice President of Dr Hilla Limann during the PNP Administration of the Third Republic.

During the Forth Republic, the Central Region has had three Vice Presidents and only one President. The Vice Presidents of the Central Region in the 4^th Republic are Mr. Kow Nkensen Arkaa (of blessed memory), Professor Evans Atta Mills (of blessed memory) and Mr. Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur (the incumbent Vice President).  Consequently, as per the logic of John Mahama, the people of the Central Region are tired of the position of Vice President. As a matter of fact the Central Region deserves better.

Of all the Vice Presidents produced by the Central Region, only one – Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur-has some questionable academic, sexual and professional qualifications. Dr De-Graft Johnson and Professor John Mills all had PHD academic qualifications and were outstanding in their fields (engineering and law).  Mr. Kow Nkensen had both academic and professional competence. The same cannot be said of Uncle Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur.  Why have the people of the Central Region been denied of the services of the Arkaahs and Mills only to be imposed on with a mediocre personality?

Who caused the death of Professor Mills? Can President John Mahama swear by the Almighty God that he knew nothing about the death of Professor Mills?  Can John Mahama also swear by the local Ghanaian deities especially ANTOA of Ohene Agyekum’s egg fame that he was not an accomplice in the well-planned death of Professor Mills?

Did President John Mahama not tell his people in the North during the 2008 Presidential campaign that they should vote for President Mills who was sick and would die for him (John Mahama) to take over as the President? Has that evil-intention not come to pass? Who is the current President of Ghana?  Is it not John Mahama? How did he become President? Was it not through the killing of President Mills?

Is that how best a Vice President who claimed to be the luckiest in the whole world could treat his boss? Did John Mahama not shed crocodile tears at Cape Coast on Saturday 28^th July 2012 by praising Atta Mills as the best mentor, father, brother and friend and yet was responsible for his death. Did John Mahama not leave Atta Mills in Ghana to go to USA, Canada and UK to launch his book, “My first Coup d’état” at a time that Professor Mills had just returned to Ghana from USA after a thorough medical examination (or is it medical treatment). Would John Mahama treat his father or brother that way? Was John Mahama not extremely callous and insensitive to the plight of his benefactor who had given him more space and freedom to operate as a Vice President and de facto President than any Vice President in the whole world?

Was it not Professor Mills’ magnanimity that enabled John Mahama to amass all the ill-gotten wealth that he is splashing about in this year’s electioneering campaign? Where did John Mahama get all the millions of dollars, euros and pound sterling not forgetting the Ghanaian cedis?

Is that the best gratitude to Professor Mills and the people of the Central Region? Why could John Mahama not wait until the Almighty God, at His own time, take the life of Professor Mills?

Why was John Mahama in his early 50’s in a hurry to ‘kill’ Professor Mills to become President?

 Why did John Mahama deny the people of Central Region even the full only-one term- presidency of Professor Mills?  Is it not wickedness, greed, avarice, over-ambition and hypocrisy that took the better part of John Mahama to commit this heinous crime of “pushing out” Professor Mills to become the President?  If the current President, Vice President for 3 years 6 months is “tired of” being a Vice President, what about the people of the Central Region?  Are the people of the Central Region also not tired of having Vice Presidents?  Voters in the Central Region will be wiser than John Mahama and his bunch of criminally – minded evil dwarfs in the NDC think.

Voters in the Central Region must and will vote in protest against John Mahama who has denied them the Presidency and given them a joker, uninspiring Vice President in the person of Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah Arthur.

The Central Region deserves the likes of “Stubborn Cat” EN Arkaah, Dr. De Graft Johnson and John Mills not subserviency to John Mahama.

If the case of the Central Region is pathetic and unfortunate then that of the Brong Ahafo Region is sad and regrettable. If there is one Region that has suffered most during the Mills/Mahama and Mahama/ Arthur regimes then it is the Brong Ahafo Region. The NDC regime has victimized the Brong Ahafo Region more than any other Region in the last four years. Rather ironically, the NDC regime has misused citizens of the Brong Ahafo Region to undermine the democracy, unity and economic advancement of Ghana more than any other Region in the last four years.

Contrary to the provisions of the 1992 Constitution, Article 35 (on Directive Principles of State Policy), Brong Ahafo Region currently does not have a Cabinet Minister. Currently Brong Ahafo Region has only two Ministers-all not of Cabinet status. As a matter of fact, Collins Dauda is the only Minister of substance in charge of Transport. The other Minister is Mr. Alex Asum Ahensah, Minister of Chieftaincy. Mr. Collins Dauda was initially made a Minister in charge of Lands and Natural Resources only to be demoted in the only major Cabinet Reshuffle in 2010.

Even with Collins Dauda, it is so sad for people of Brong Ahafo. The animalistic instincts of Collins are there for all Ghanaians to see. This wicked, violent and barbaric person does not deserve an appointment in the name of the people of Brong Ahafo. He is visiting mayhem on the people in Acherensua, Nkasemu and Sankore with any justification. As his blood thirsty teeth and face show, Collins is a Vampire always looking for the blood of innocent law abiding Ghanaians.

On the question of dismissals, pre-mature retirement and victimization, Brong Ahafo Region has suffered most under the NDC. 

Great sons of Brong Ahafo such as Nana Owusu-Nsiah (former IGP), Mr. Felix Ferkah (former Chief Fire Officer), Mr. Gyimah (former MD of National Investment Bank), Nana Adjei-Mensah (former Director of Budget, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning), Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ofosu Gyeabour (formerly Regional Commander-NR and Director General Technical Services), Colonel Kwadwo Damoah (former Director Manpower Planning, Ghana Armed Forces), Brigadier General JK Nkrumah (former Deputy Commandant MATS), Brigadier General JK Forkuo (former Director General Traning at GHQ), Colonel JK Kumah (former Deputy Director General Plans and Development) and Group Captain  Osei Kyeremeh (former Director of Administration, Airforce Headquarters) among others were high profile citizens of the Brong Ahafo who were victimized and pre-maturely retired, released or dismissed from public service for political and ethnocentric reasons.

It is for these and other reasons that the people of the Brong Ahafo Region would vote wisely against the NDC. While the NDC elevated, promoted and gave numerous appointments and positions to persons from their strongholds in the Cabinet, public and civil service and political positions, the few that citizens of Brong Ahafo had were taken away from them.

There were more cabinet and non cabinet ministers and deputy ministers from the Brong Ahafo Region in the NPP Administration of President Kufuor than the Mills/Mahama and Mahama/Arthur regimes. Stalwarts such as JH Mensah, Professor Ameyaw Akumfi, Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Professor Gyan Baffour, Alhaji Moctar Bamba, Ernest Debrah, Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (Rtd), Agyeman-Manu, Andrews Adjei Yeboah, Thomas Broni, Cecilia Gyan, Ama Nyamekye and Ampofo, among several others.

Today, Brong Ahafo Region has only there Deputy Ministers out of which the likes of Dr Hanna Bissiw are rather a shame to the region. The Ghana Armed Forces does not have one Single Brigadier General or equivalent from the Brong Ahafo Region.  

The President and his wife are claiming that a vote for John Mahama means a First Lady for Brong Ahafo. That statement is true but the Brong Ahafo Region has seen a better and First Class First Lady in the person of Mrs. Theresa Kufuor. Mrs. Kufuor was a real mother of the nation. She was and is a decent woman by all standards. She represented real womanhood in Ghana and Africa like Nana Konadu.

Mrs. Kufuor was an accomplished woman in her nursing profession. She had trained academically and professionally in the United Kingdom with academic degree and professional skills, competences, experiences and abilities. Can the same be said of Mrs. Lordina Mahama, an Ordinary level School Certificate holder? Oh No! Brong Ahafo Region had Mrs. Kufuor for eight continuous years as the First Lady of Ghana with dignity, decency and respect.

What is the hallmark of Mrs. Mahama?

It is corruption!!! Where did she get money to go into estate development? Before the husband became the Vice-President of Ghana, what was Lordina’s business level? What was the capital structure and quantum of Mrs. Lordina Mahama’s estate development business? Is it not by the ‘grace of the deals and connections’ of John Mahama that Lordina became a real estate developer overnight? Can Lordina tell Ghanaians what she used her Ordinary level Certificate for? What had Lordina been doing between 1985 and 2009? Ghanaians and especially people from the Brong Ahafo are interested in that?

Did anybody in Brong Ahafo see Mrs. Theresa Kufuor sharing T-shirts, pieces of cloth, money, food items and other material things as Mrs. Lordina Mahama is doing in the Brong Ahafo and other Regions? Why did Lordina not start sharing those things from 2009 but waited until her husband’s bid to become elected President? Why is Lordina not satisfied with her present undeserving status?   

The people of Brong Ahafo have been cheated on two importance occasions as far as educational institutions are concerned. In the 1990’s when the NDC government decided to establish a Polytechnic each in the ten regions of Ghana; the existing Sunyani Technical Institute was converted into a Polytechnic without a provision for re-locating the original Technical Institute.

The location, premises and facilities of Sunyani Technical Institute (SUTEC) were converted into S-POLY thus denying the region any public Technical Institute. All cries for the re-establishment of Sunyani Technical Institute or a public Technical Institute any part of the entire Brong Ahafo Region fell on deaf ears.

As part of the propaganda of the Mills/Mahama NDC government, a sod-cutting ceremony took place in 2010 to establish a Public University in Sunyani (University of Natural Renewable Resources) alongside the University in HO.

Again, the establishment of a Public University in Sunyani has led to the denial of the people of Brong Ahafo the enjoyment of an existing public University. The original School of Forestry which was made a Faculty of KNUST as a Faculty of Renewable Resources under the Kufuor Administration has now been converted into a yet-to-be-established University whereas Level 400 students of KNUST are still on campus. The only thing that the propagandist government of the NDC has done is to paint the buildings a dirty cream color instead of the original beautiful green color. Not a single block or equipment has been provided. The existing structures are to be used. Thus, just as in the 1990s, the NDC government is deceiving the people of Brong Ahafo with the establishment of a new University whereas in fact the Region is worse off because they have been denied the use of an existing University while a dream of a new university has just been conceived.

In the event that the new university takes off, the net effect for the Region will be zero-i.e. lose one university-KNUST and gain another university-UNR. But at the moment, the Brong Ahafo Region is worse off as it has one institution less on its inventory.

Unlike the HO University where a real Management Team was put in place and some infrastructural developments have taken place, in the case of Sunyani, no such things have happened. Yet, the NDC is on top of the roofs trumpeting that it has built two new universities, one for Brong Ahafo and the other for the Volta Region.

As if that was not enough, the NDC is falsely preaching that it would establish a public university each in all the remaining reasons that do not have public universities.

An akan adage says that if the naked promises clothes for the wretched then the wretched should first look at the naked to decide whether or not to believe such a promise. The NDC is known for lies, deceit, deception, propaganda and mendacity. One trusts the NDC at one’s own peril.

The people of Brong Ahafo are reminded that their greatest enemy is the NDC. It is the P/NDC that made a lot of prominent chiefs, businessmen, farmers, academicians and professional of the Region poor or poorer. The Region has suffered untold hardships at the hands of P/NDC.

Several citizens of the Brong Ahafo were either killed or died as a result of the harassment, victimization, intimidation, brutalities and barbarism of P/NDC, their agents and officials.

Today, true to its policy of divide and rule, the NDC is using citizens of the Brong Ahafo Region to destroy the democracy, peace and security of the country. The likes of Yaw Boateng Gyan, Aseidu Nkeitah, Collins Dauda, Boakye-Djan, Eric Opoku, Hanna Bissiw as officials and Members of the NDC are deeply involved in activities that are destroying the peace of the country, creating instability, engineering and executing atrocities, barbarism, violence and harassment of all magnitude and levels.

If one listens to the tape of Yaw Boateng Gyan, the violence meted out on daily basis by Collins Dauda, Eric Opoku, Hanna Bissiw, Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo and Major Boakye Djan-all citizens of Brong Ahafo-then one is saddened that the NDC is using energies that could have been channeled for better purposes into barbaric, nefarious and negative purposes.

Again, Aseidu-Nketiah is using his position as General Secretary and influence in the NDC to launch verbal and physical attacks on all manner of persons and personalities. Aseidu-Nketiah has also been insulting former Presidents Rawlings and Kufuor with impunity. Aseidu-Nketiah has also been attacking Nana Akufo-Addo incessantly without provocation and justification. Aseidu-Nketiah has been threatening mayhem, fire and brimstone. He led NDC thugs and hooligans in the 2008 elections to attack the Electoral Commission and Security Agents. He has been organizing Ivoirians for violent atrocities and operations in Ghana. Aseidu-Nketiah uses his contacts and relations in the Ivory Coast for negative and violent purposes.

If the actions, activities and behavior of the NDC officials, members and Ministers in the Brong Ahafo Region are bad then those of Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan are most reprehensible, unacceptable and disgraceful to the people of Brong Ahafo and the region itself. Whereas the likes of the Yaw Gyans, Collins Dauda, Eric Opoku, Hanna Bissiw, Boakye-Djan, Nyamekye-Marfo and Aseidu-Nketiah may be disturbing, the peace, democracy, political and economic development of Ghana, the actions and omissions of Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, the Chairman of the EC, goes to the fundamental roots and foundations of our 4^th Republic status.

The conduct of free and fair elections may enhance and deepen our democracy and 4^th Republican status or the partial deliberate gerrymandering and rigging in favour of the NDC by Dr. Afari Gyan and his EC would destroy our country forever. For some inexplicable reasons, Dr Afari Gyan has been unnecessarily stubborn, recalcitrant and unreasonable in the conduct of the 2012 elections. So many things have gone on wrongly and distastefully through the undemocratic and unreasonable conduct of Dr. Afari Gyan. The electoral register for the 2012 elections is not ready as at 26 November 2012 when elections are only days away. That is the danger being created by Dr Gyan.

The people of Brong Ahafo should vote for the NPP and against the NDC for all the above reasons, maltreatment and disgrace meted out to the Region and its people by the NDC and its notorious citizens from the Region. Brong Ahafo and Central Region should vote wisely for the NPP and not the NDC.

Open Letter to Gbevlo, Smith and the CDS (Part 2)

1. To remember all on these year’s Independent Day Celebration, some troops were seen at the parade presenting them as SF which brought fear to the general public.   

Just after the celebrations, the said SF was dissolved.  72 young soldiers of the rank of Cpls and below were later sent to Asutuare Camp to be train for a special purpose known to the GAF.  An official letter from the Chief of Staffs of the GAF indicated the distribution of the entire GAF into 3 groups to be deployed in 8 out of the 10 Regions. 

2. They have completed the training and have been deployed with their own tasks. They have been divided into three groups.  The 1^st group is located at Agyriganor and are been trained by some Cuban Expects and Personal Security Officers (PSO) of Castle.  The 2^nd group lives in the Barracks and performs their duties to and from the Castle. To remember you, during the funeral of the Late President Mills, some young men were seen in suits with red ties; they are the 3^rd group.  At the moment, they are located at an unknown place. Under-listed are few of the SF whose names have been retrieved:

Cpl Dormabele Snr                             Cpl Dormabele Jnr

Cpl Tando                                            Cpl Ankemah

L/Cpl Ameyaw                                     L/Cpl Natornah

L/Cpl Issah                                          L/Cpl Anyomi

L/Cpl Yeboah                                     Pte Bu-Blaummeh

Pte Boakye                                          Pte Adrah

Pte Mohamed                                      Pte Oppong

3. During the 2008 General Election, NDC won most of the Central Region Poll through the help from 64 Infantry Regiment. Similar task has been assigned them this year.  Locations to operate are Cape Coast Metropolis, KEEA Municipality, Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa, Assin North and South Districts and Winneba.  According to a letter I have seen, suitable accommodation has been allocated to them in those locations for same duties and the CO – 64 is to visit Dunkwa-on-Offin for same task.  Their aim is to organize a fake duty call, Operation Peace Trail, just to deceive the people around, of their safety during and after the incoming election.  In his brief, he also talked of an effort being made to ask for old vehicles from Forestry Commission to be repaired for such operation in the Central Region.

4. In the GAF, every unit purchases its own Corps of Drums. In the issue of 64 Infantry Regiment, according to the CO, he had received 16 brand new musical instruments from National Security for the establishment of their Unit Corps of Drums. As we are talking, some personnel are undergoing training at the Central Band.  At the moment, the 64 Infantry Regiment as they are known to the public, but whose real name is (SIX FOUR – 6, 4), meaning June Fourth, are been portray as Super-Powers of the GAF.  I don’t know whether it has come to your notice; have you watched its colours and that of NDC Party colours, what is the difference?

5. During Colonel Oppong-Peprah’s period as CO 64 Inf Regt, he put up a 1 x 10-Unit Flat project, which was almost at the finishing stage (Roofing) located closer to the Recce Regt and 64 Cook House. This project has been abundant for so many years.  From the present CO’s brief, he made mention of shortage of funds to complete the said project, so assistance is needed.  Right now, the unit has putting up timber on the project with the help from Directorate of Engineer Service.

Questions

There are so many areas recognized as problem zone, Central Region has never been describe as such, why is it that, only that Region has been  chosen for such duties and not the other problem areas like as Hohoe and others?

The GAF is to provide all the needed equipment to operate on any duty it wants to perform. Can High Command tell the whole nation, why they are going for unserviceable vehicles from the Forestry Department and this time, it is not from their usual National Security?

Talking about the corps of drums for every unit in the GAF, it is a way of investment for all units not to depend fully on the GAF. Upon that, all Units purchase its own Corps of Drums, but this time, 64 Inf Regt received a free Drums from the National Security.  Why, was it donated from the National Security?

Can the CO state where his project is located, apart from that of Col Oppong-Peprah’s project?

6. Talking of statistics of Command structure in the GAF, specifically, how Battalion Units are been run.   Under-listed is the table of prove:

Srl	Rank	Full Name	Unit	Appt Date	Remarks
(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)	(e)	(f)
1	Col	Anthony Kwasi Dzisi	Pay Office	12 Mar 09	Ewe
2.	Lt Col	Mohammed Mustapha	48 Engrs	31 Dec 08	Ewe
3.	Lt Col	Wekite Abase Seidu	66 Arty	12 Mar 09	North
4.	Lt Col	Cornelius Kobla Lithur	3 Bn	22 Jul 09	Ewe
5.	Lt Col	Lawrence Gbetanu	5 Bn	22 Jul 09	Ewe
6.	Lt Col	Stephen Kwaku Parbey	4 Bn	08 Jul 10	Ewe
7.	Lt Col	James Hagan	6 Bn	22 Jul 11	Akan
8.	Lt Col	Isaac Nicholas Paintsil	64 Regt	09 Mar 12	Fanti (But)
9.	Lt Col	George Tawiah Sam	2 Bn	17 Jul 12	Fanti
10.	Lt Col	Frederick Dankyi Ntiri	1 Bn	09 Mar 12	Ewe
11.	Lt Col	Ben Gah	Recce Regt	21 May 12	Ewe
12.	Lt Col	F Ampofo-Gyakye	ABF	25 Aug 12	Akan (But)
13.	Maj	AduseiPoku	Central Band	29 Feb 12	North Volta

PROMOTION OTHER RANKS

MANDATORY NUMBER OF YEARS IN RANK

SERVICE AND COURSES ATTENDED – 25 YEARS

7.  Before a soldier is promoted, one has to cover some period.  Under-listed are tables to show the structure of GAF promotion. 

           

Srl	Rank	Years In Rank	Years In Service	Courses	Remarks
(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)	(e)	(f)
1.	Recruit	6 Mths	6 Mths	Recruit Trg	6 Months
2.	Private Class III	6 Mths	1 Year	Candidates should attend relevant career courses	Annual Report/Confidential Reports should accompany all recommendations
3.	Private Class II	6 Mths	2 Years
4.	Private Class I	6 Mths	4 Years
5.	L/Cpl to Cpl	4 Years	8 Years
6.	Cpl to Sgt	4 Years	12 Years
7.	Sgt to Staff Sgt	3 Years	15 Years
8.	Staff Sgt to WOII	3 Years	18 Years
9.	WOII to WOI	2 Years	20 Years

8. In the military, every soldier has to be in a Substantive Paid rank before been moved to higher rank.  WOII Joseph Kaku was enlisted into the GAF in 1999.   The said WOII is a cousin and a personal Clerk of the CDS.  He has in the short time rising from the rank of a Cpl to WOII in less than 4 years.  He was a Cpl in 2004, when he offended and was reduced from his rank to a Private Soldier and appointed L/Cpl same day.  On 15^th Jun 08, he was promoted from L/Cpl to Cpl.  31^st Dec 08 almost 6 months, he was appointed Acting Sgt. A rank he was never given a Substantive Paid Rank but was promoted to Staff Sgt on 10^th Jul 09, less than 1 years.  He is at the moment a (WOII) on 5^th Jul 12, but low and behold, he was back dated by higher command to read 31^st Dec 11, almost 7 months back dated.  He is less than 13 years in service and boosting about that, he will surely be promoted to WOI by the end of the year because of his relationship with the CDS.  

9. S/Sgt Sulemana Mohammed was also enlisted into the GAF in 2003.  He is a staff at the CDS office.  He has risen from A/Cpl to S/Sgt in less than 4 years.  On 29^th Jan 09, he was appointed Acting Cpl.  He never had his Substantive Paid Rank but was promoted Sgt on 10^th Jul 09, in less than 6 months.  He is at the moment a (S/SGT) on 5^th Jul 12, but was also back-dated by higher authorities to read 31^st Dec 11.  He is less than 9 years in service and believing surely that, he will be promoted to WOII by the end of the year, because he is working with the CDS.  

10. In 2003, S/Sgt Mohammed Awal was enlisted into the GAF.  Right now, he is a personal driver of the CDS.  He has risen from A/Cpl to S/Sgt in less than 4 years.  On 21^st Jan 09, he was appointed Acting Cpl.  He was promoted Substantive Paid Cpl on the 1^st Dec 09, in less than 1 year. He was again appointed Acting Sgt on the 7^th Nov 10, a rank that he was never given a Substantive Paid Rank in less than 9 months.  As we are talking, he is a (S/SGT) on 5^th Jul 12, but was back-dated by higher command to read 31^st Dec 11.  He is less than 9 years in service and believing surely that he will be promoted to WOII by the end of the year, because he is the driver of the CDS.  

11. S/Sgt Abdulai Haruna was also enlisted into the GAF in 2003; he is also a personal driver of the CDS.  He has risen from A/Cpl in less than 4 years to S/Sgt.  On 22^nd May 08, he was appointed Acting Cpl.  On 10^th Jul 09, he was promoted to the higher rank of Sgt, whereby he was never promoted a Substantive Paid Cpl.   Right now, he is a (S/SGT) on 5^th Jul 12, but was back dated by higher authorities to read 31^st Dec 11.  He is less than 9 years in service and believing surely that he will be promoted to WOII by the end of the year, because of him being his personal driver.

12. Sgt Williams Acheampong was also enlisted into the GAF in 2003, and a Body Guard of the CDS.  He was posted to this office when his formal Body Guard went for officer commission.  Almost all his mates in the Battalion Unit where he was posted from to this office are either L/Cpl’s or A/Cpl’s.  He had his SGT rank on 5^th Jul 12, but was back dated by higher authorities to read 31^st Dec 11.  He is less than 9 years in service and believing surely that he will be promoted to S/SGT by the end of the year as a Body Guard to the CDS.

13. According to the GAF Regulation, all service personnel are to serve for 25 years before retirement.  Again, for a soldier to be promoted, he/she has to under-go a medical check-up and completes a form called Re-engagement.  In every soldier’s first 10 years in service, he/she is automatic re-engaged by the Forces Records Office.  His/her first re-engagement that need a medical check-up is at age 15 of service.  Right now, some of the soldiers are over 25 years and have finished all his/her re-engagement period, not retirement and still serving the nation.  Command is not accepting their promotion to their next high rank.  Information indicates that, he/she should be re-engaged before promoted.  Till date, High Command has not come out clearly of how many years a soldier is to serve before retirement where by one will be qualify to his next higher rank.   

QUESTIONS

Talking of WOII Kaku, troops want to know whether the mandated years of service for promotion are working or not?

Why was WOII Kaku and the other staffs in the CDS Office not promoted to a Substantive Ranks before their next higher rank and whether the years in rank and service are workable?

  

    Is it ones fault to work with lower offices or should everybody work with High Authorities before he/she is promoted?

How come Command has sat down for the CDS’s Staff to be promoted in less than 4 years from a lower rank to the higher ranks?

INCOMING ELECTION

14. Information gathered from High Command indicated that, troops who have just rotated from UNIFIL – Lebanon, UNMIL – Liberia. UNOCI in La Cote D’Ivoire and MONUSCO – Congo cannot vote in the incoming general elections but registered with the Biometric system. Right now, the EC is registering Diplomat for proxy votes in the Barracks.

15.  On 27^th September, 2012, at the 5Bn Junior Rank Mess, troops received lectures on Operation Peace Trail from the Greater Accra Regional Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Alexander Opoku-Akubea on Troop’s Role Before, During and After election.  Questions time was allowed after the lectures for the troops.  A soldier asked a question on the CI 78 issue that, if the CI 78 will bring any problem in the nation, why can’t the nation wait for the right time?   He answered and I quote, “I wonder how people who called themselves Politicians and Learned Lawyers can be that STUPID by saying, the timing was wrong and that there were errors in the CI’s.  Who created these errors?  Wasn’t it their own political gains, just because they don’t want the CI to come into being” unquote.

16. A question about proxy votes was also thrown to him and he said, “As for the proxy voting, it will come on and it is to our favor.  At first, we decided not to agree to the proxy voting, but we later thought it otherwise, because we do not want to disenfranchise any soldiers that would be away.  Their number can make up difference.

17. Another question was asked on ROPAL not being implemented, but people are been registered abroad by EC?   And this was what he said, “Yes, ROPAL is not implemented, however there is the need to register students on government scholarships and Embassy officials and staffs and those on mission aboard.  This is not the first time we undertook such exercise.  We have been doing this for many years when it was their time, because all those people must vote” he retorted. 

18. Generally, the gentleman’s demeanour pointed to the fact that, he was acting as representative of the government and not independent as they always want people to believe. In fact, everything he said was directly in favour of the government with the mind set that, all the soldiers in the lecture room are in support of their present government.

QUESTIONS:

  

  Can Command tell troops who have returned from the above-mentioned missions and have already registered, why they cannot vote?  If they are refused voting, then who is going to use their names to vote?

Troops want to know how the proxy voting is going to work as most of the troops are already in the mission area?

Authorities have started registration for Diplomats and Government appointees in the Mission Areas.  Information gathered indicates that they will be voting on proxy basis, what is the truth in this story?

With this short brief, why can’t Mr. Alexander Opoku-Akubea the Greater Accra EC boss be brought to book for polluting the soldiers?

STATE OF IN-SECURITY

19. From the initial days of Kufour’s government, when the Operation Calm Life started in the cities of Accra, GAF was operating with 12 Pick-Up vehicles and were chalking all the success from the entire public.

To tell you the truth, troops are willing to serve the nation when all needed equipments are in place and available.  At the moment, the said duties is been operated with 3 vehicles till date instead of the 12, all this is due to lack of maintenance of the vehicles, bad tires and other uncontrollable  difficulties on the vehicles.

20. Talking about in-security in the country, it is totally different from the Peace Talk being preached by the Prez Mahama and his team.  I am to inform you that, some retired loyal soldiers of the 1983 Group of this government have been called by National Security and are been used with issued Military Uniforms.  To mention few of the retired soldiers I have seen in military uniform are EX WOI’s MARTEY and LATSUA who were formally with the Military Academy Training School (MATS).  Right now, that is the topic on all tables everywhere in the Barracks.  At the beginning of the year, National Security bought 500 per of Camouflage Uniforms from the Army Shop.

QUESTION

  

 Command should come out and tell us why the vehicles for Operation Clam Life have dropped from 12 to 3 till date?

  

 Can Command tell the entire nation, if there are not enough vehicles available to operate in Accra, then why the new Operation at Central Region which is going to borrow unserviceable vehicles from Forestry?

What is Command saying about the retire soldiers in military uniforms and where they got the said military uniform from?