Major General Clayton Naa Boanubah Yaachie (Rtd), a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), has praised the Ghana Army’s effort to spread out across the entire nation.
The action, which was diligently pursued under Major General Thomas Oppong Peprah, the current COAS, won praise from the former army chief, who said that it will improve the security of the nation since it is “decisive and timely” in light of current security challenges.
“The establishment and operationalisation of new Brigade Headquarters and Units in the Ghana Army, and the birth of 10 and 11 Mechanised Battalions in the Upper West and East Regions, 155 Armoured Regiment in the Savannah Region and the disposition of several Forward Operating Base across the country, has undoubtedly enhanced Military Dominance in certain identified flashpoints and vulnerable areas,” he said.
He was speaking at the WASSA 2022 West African Soldiers Social Activity, a gathering of soldiers and their families to celebrate the year’s end with wine, food, and socializing. The Ghana Army Headquarters at Burma Camp in Accra served as the venue for the occasion.
Major Yaachie applauded the government’s initiatives to retool the Ghana Armed Forces, in particular the Army, and the creation of the Army Peace Operations Training School (APOTS), which equips it to deal with security challenges with assurance.
“The formation of the Army Special Operations Brigade, 15 Armoured Brigade, 17 Signal Brigade… places the Ghana Army in the right stead to confidently counter emerging security threats from all fronts. The establishment of the Army Peace Operations Training School (APOTS) is a master stroke, given our enduring involvement in peace operations.”
Further praising the ongoing training provided to all ranks at various levels, Major General Yaachie (Retd) mentioned that it included field training exercises like Flaming Spear, Burning Arrow, and Eagle Claws that helped soldiers become more operationally proficient and sharpen their skills to deal with violent extremism and terrorism.
Brigadier General Charles Agyemang Prempeh, the Chief Staff Officer in charge of Army Headquarters, stated that although the year proved difficult for the Army, it did not prevent them from carrying out their duties, including their deployment of three contingents to the newly established UN and ECOWAS Missions in Abyie on the border of South Sudan and Sudan and Guinea-Bissau, respectively.
Additionally, Brigadier General Prempeh spoke of the army’s capacity to train local special operations units as well as other successful operations.
Some soldiers who had demonstrated distinction during the event received awards.
The best female soldier of the year was Corporal Doris Horla Quashie, and the best male soldier of the year was Warrant Officer Class Two Comrade Agbekor Fiagbedzi.
The “Fante rap god” and one of the nation’s contemporary highlife musicians, Kofi Kinaata, also performed at the occasion and put on an electrifying show.
Source: GNA
