As part of efforts to bridge the housing deficit for personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), the government is constructing a number of military housing projects across the country at a total cost of US$ 100 million.
The projects, expected to be completed in 36 months, consist of 176 two-bedroom flats, 162 two-bedroom half compound houses, one military hostel with 240 self-contained rooms, and one platoon commanders block containing four two-bedroom flats.
The projects also include a military academy auditorium with 640 seating capacity, a storey classroom block for the military academy, an administration office block with 48 offices and conference rooms for the military academy, as well as the construction of a fence wall around the entire military academy.
The US$100 million Military Housing Project is being undertaken with two Chinese companies, Poly Changda Overseas Engineering Company Limited and Poly Technologies of the Peoples’ Republic of China.
At the Military Academy Training School in Accra yesterday, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, performed a sod-cutting ceremony for construction to begin and expressed the government’s commitments to transform the GAF into a formidable force.
He said the government, through the Barracks Regeneration Policy, aimed at addressing the infrastructural needs of the GAF, had engaged in a number of projects including the construction of housing units.
“I have been left saddened by the lingering problem of inadequate housing. In this day and age, it is unacceptable that senior military officers are allocated residential accommodation or rooms originally reserved for junior officers, with the latter housed in worst conditions.
“It is time we changed the status quo and provide the military personnel with better and modern accommodation and station them in their respective barracks. We need all our military personnel within reach of the high command for rapid deployment in times of emergency,” he said.
For his part, the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul told the gathering that commencement of the project was in fulfilment of the government’s agenda and commitment to re-equip and retool GAF.
He said, Ghana was still faced with acute accommodation problems especially within the personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces across the country.
“It is for this reason that the president and the commander-in-chief of the GAF has initiated the Barracks Regeneration Project (BRF)policy for the military to give members of the Armed Forces a befitting place of residence,” he said.
The minister said it was his aim to make the officers, men and women as comfortable as possible due to the sensitive nature of the work they do in safeguarding and preserving the territorial integrity of the country.
Mr Xi Jinping, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana said the Chinese Embassy in Ghana would work with government of Ghana to deepen their cooperation in the military to develop the national defence of Ghana.
By Yaw Kyei, Benedicta Gyimaah Folley and Malisa Tetteh
