Don’t allow external influences to determine admission, training of soldiers – Ex Army Chief

By Christiana Afua Nyarko and Chanel Acheampong

Accra, July 19, GNA – A former Chief of Army Staff and Chairman for the Veteran Administration Ghana (VAG), Major General Clayton Yaachie (Rtd), has asked the Military Academy and Training Schools (MATS) not to allow external influences to determine admissions, training and passing out of Officer cadets in the Academy.

“This is where the umbilical cord of every military officer is cut…the officers you are training will come and serve under you so, let’s be honest with ourselves…don’t allow influences outside of the Military to influence your decisions either to commission or not to commission,” he said.

He said this at the Ghana Military Academy and Training Schools (MATS) when a five-member delegation from the Veterans Association and Defence Ministry of the Republic of South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, visited.

The four-day visit according to Lt. General Panek Biar Chol Ajak, Head of South Sudan’s Veterans Management Fund, was to understudy the Ghanaian Veteran Administration and military system and exchange knowledge and experiences.

“We have a lot in common that is why we selected Ghana as the best country to visit and learn from you,” he said.

The leader of the South Sudanese Delegation, who doubles as the Undersecretary of Veteran Affairs, Lieutenant General Bia Atem Ajang, in an address to Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Kofi Amankwah Manu, said his country chose Ghana because it served as a “big brother” with rich experiences and had an enviable reputation in democracy and good governance.

The delegation took a tour of MATS to familiarise themselves with operations.

Capt. Ben Edmund Duah (Rtd ), Executive Director for Veterans Administration Ghana, commended the South Sudanese Veterans for the foresight.

GNA