THE Minister of Defence, Mr Dominic Ntiwul yesterday toured seven project sites being undertaken by the government in Accra which were at different stages of completion.
The projects include three-storey Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) office complex, eight-storey Army headquarters, military warehouse facilities and military housing project all in Burma Camp.
At the Military Academy Training School in Teshie, the minister inspected two-bedroom half compound buildings for instructors, a four-storey 16 flats for platoon commanders respectively and a 246 hostel for officer cadets.
Speaking to the media during the tour, the Deputy Director, Engineer Services, Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Lt Col Albert Takyi, said all projects were expected to be completed by December this year.
He said most of the projects were started in 2020 despite the outbreak of COVID-19 and had a three-year span.
For the eight-storeyArmy headquarters, he said it was started two years ago and was being built in the form of a pistol.
He said the building which would have about 105 offices was 60 percent complete adding all the materials needed for its completion was available.
With the CDSoffice complex, Lt Col Takyi said it was 95 per cent complete andshould be ready for use soon.
He said there were five warehouses at the site and had been designated according to the new designs of GAF adding that they are 3,000m2.
He said the warehouses were to store items such as weapons, spare parts, uniforms and other equipment for the Ghana Army adding that personnel at the warehouse situated behind the 37 lorry station would be relocated to the new site located near the new military cemetery
Lt Col Takyi said the old warehouse would be going out as part of the airport phase two project adding “those warehouses we have challenges with them including flooding whenever it rains as well as the level of height of the roads.
“In Ghana Armed Forces this will be the biggest warehouse that we ever had looking at the projection of the Armed Forces in the four to five years and beyond,” he added.
He said the military housing project is going on at all garrisons with the aim of providing accommodation for troops.
Lt Col Takyi said the housing project was being replicated in Sunyani, Bono, Ho Volta, Kumasi in the Ashanti and Sekondi-Takoradi, Western Region stating that, together there were over 1000 units across the country for the military.
On his part, Mr Ntiwul said most of the projects embarked begun in 2020 and were without initial funding from the Ministry of Finance.
He indicated that by December 31 this year all the projects were expected to be completed and handed over.
He said the country needed the military because they were the last men standing in every democracy adding that “if your military collapses, your country will collapse and it is the reason we have to support them.”
Mr Ntiwul mentioned that over 100km out of about 250kmof roads have been asphalted in all garrisons across the country.
“Whatever government has to do to support them we will do, even if government does not have the money, we will find it somewhere , I will lead them with my Deputy, with the Chief of Defence Staff and all the military high command, we will find the resources to continue to invest in the military,” he added.
BY JEMIMA ESINAM KUATSINU
