Ntim Fordjour criticises appointment of new Service Chiefs for GAF

Published 4 days ago• 2 minute read

Assin South Member of Parliament John Ntim Fordjour has raised concerns over President John Mahama’s appointment of new leadership for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), describing the move as “backward, costly, and far-fetched.”

A statement signed by Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, on Monday, March 17, announced the changes, stating that they are part of efforts to strengthen Ghana’s defence architecture.

However, Rev. Fordjour, who is also the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, believes the reshuffle hurts the morale of the military.

According to him, the current leadership, made up of senior-ranked generals, has been replaced with lower-ranked Brigadier Generals (1-star Generals), a move he argues weakens the military’s command structure.

In a post on X, he further stated that many of the dismissed officers still had up to six years before retirement, and their premature removal will cost the public purse millions in gratuities.

“What this implies on the public purse is that gratuities will have to be paid running into millions of cedis due to the egoistic premature dismissals at the command of Ghana Armed Forces,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, the new appointments, set to take effect on March 24, 2025, include:

Brigadier General William Agyapong – Acting Chief of the Defence Staff

Brigadier General Lawrence Kwaku Gbetanu – Acting Chief of Army Staff

Commodore Godwin Livinus Blessing – Acting Chief of Naval Staff

Air Commodore Eric Agyen-Frempong – Acting Chief of Air Staff

Brigadier General Glover Ashong Annan – Acting Chief of Staff

The changes have sparked debate over their impact on Ghana’s military hierarchy and operational effectiveness.

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