Don’t politicise equipping the Ghana Armed Forces – Maj. Ampobi

The Ghana Armed Forces has expressed worry over the consistent politicization of the issue of equipping it in order to help it protect the nation.

“When politicians speak about the issue of equipping the Ghana Armed Forces with a political mind, it affects us because then we become ill-equipped and are unable to do our work well,” Maj. Francis Ampobi from the Public Relations Directorate of the Ghana Armed Forces has said.

“That is why you the media need to talk for us”, he added.

Maj. Ampobi was contributing to discussions on the role of the Ghana Armed Forces in developing Ghana on GTV Breakfast Show Monday morning, November 14, 2011.

According to him, the Ghana Armed Forces has contributed a lot to develop the country in diverse ways including collaborating with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to assist victims of floods.

He also mentioned the operation ‘Cow Leg’ which is meant to solve the Fulani issue in the Agogo area and the application of reasonable force that is brought to bear on the ‘galamsey’ operators to make it impossible for them to ply their illegal mining trade.

On her part, Lieutenant Commander Faustina B. A. Boakye, Acting Director of the Armed Forces Supply Division said “our ships are not technically strong and we need platforms to do our work”.

“Togo and Benin waters witnessed piracy activities few months ago and the Ghana Navy has also recently acquired four new fast patrol boats which would be used to patrol Ghanaian waters to ward off any pirate and also protect Ghana’s oil”, she said.

Wing Commander Charles Addico of the Ghana Air Force Base in Accra said the Ghana Air Force is assisting in developing Ghana through the protection of the country’s air space with the collaboration of the Ghana Navy.

By Pascal Kelvin Kudiabor