The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, 1st February 2023, presented one hundred and seventy-five vehicles to the Ghana Armed Forces.
At a ceremony at Gondar Barracks, in Burma Camp, Headquarters of the Armed Forces, President Akufo-Addo presented 70 Kamaz Utility Troop Carrying Vehicles; 20 BTR-70 Armoured Personnel Carriers; 20 Husky Armoured Vehicles; and 65 Assorted Toyota Vehicles.
The President also presented a number of communication equipment to the Armed Forces. This is the third time in three (3) years that he has presented vehicles to the Armed Forces, the first being on Thursday, 5th December 2019, and the second being Wednesday, 31st March 2021.
Addressing the gathering, President Akufo-Addo noted that the vehicles and equipment he presented “will go a long way to help GAF contain the security threat from violent extremist and terrorist groups along our northern borders, other internal security challenges as well as support external peacekeeping operations.”
The President commended the Armed Forces for their commitment to the on-going Operations especially CONQUERED FIST, MOTHERLAND, GONGONG and HALT II, which are intended to create a secure, peaceful atmosphere at the northwestern, northern and northeastern borders of the country, to contain secessionist activities, and to deal with the galamsey menace respectively.
“I urge you to continue to collaborate with the Ministries of National Security, Interior, Foreign Affairs and the Ghana Revenue Authority, as well as all other stakeholder agencies, to ensure that we maintain a robust posture that will deter potential aggressors from derailing the political and socio-economic gains achieved so far,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo continued, “There is no doubt that your success in providing the needed all-round security in the country has been made possible through your vigilance and sacrifices, notwithstanding the scarce resources that you have to work with. I am very grateful as your Commander-in-Chief.”
In order to help address the threat from Ghana’s northern border, he explained that Government released funds in 2020 to start re-tooling, construction and upgrading of fifteen (15) Forward Operating Bases and new units, including the 10 and the 11 Mechanised Battalions, and 154 and 155 Armoured Regiments and supporting logistics units.
All these efforts of re-tooling and providing the necessary accommodation units, he explained, “are intended to enhance the efficiency of the Ghana Armed Forces.”