By Iddi Yire
Accra, March 28, GNA – Major General William Agyapong, the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), has reaffirmed the Ghana Armed Forces’ unflinching loyalty to the Constitution, to the State, and to President John Dramani Mahama, the Commander-in-Chief.
He gave affirmation on Friday, during a complimentary visit to President Mahama at the Presidency, where he was accompanied by Major General Lawrence Kwaku Gbetanu, the Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Godwin Livinus Bessing, Chief of Naval Staff, Air Vice Marshal Eric Agyen-Frempong, Chief of Air Staff and Air Vice Marshal Joshua Lartei Mensah-Larkai, Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces.
He reassured the President that under his guidance, they would provide the right leadership to make the Ghana Armed Forces strong, secure the country and protect its territorial integrity by land, sea and air.
“As the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, together with all the Service Chiefs of the Ghana Army, Ghana Navy, Ghana Air Force, and the Chief of Staff at the General Headquarters, we have come here today, first and foremost, to congratulate His Excellency on the success he chalked during the recent election and his assumption of office as the President of the Republic of Ghana and the Commander-in-Chief,” Major General Agyapong said.
“We were quite sure, Your Excellency, about the resilience that you displayed, and as military personnel, we want to emulate that same level of resilience to be able to persecute the attacks ahead of us.”
Major General Agyapong expressed gratitude to the President for the appointments that he had offered them and the promotions to the ranks of two-star generals.
“We are indeed very grateful. We see this as a testament of the trust and confidence that you have in us, and we want to assure you that we will live up to that expectation.”
He said their little interaction with Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, the Defence Minister had shown then that the President had great passion for the Ghana Armed Forces in troops’ welfare, provision of equipment, and maintaining and restoring the image of the Ghana Armed Forces.
He said they saw this as conforming with what the Prussian general and military strategist, Carl von Clausewitz, explains as the fighting power framework.
He said by virtue of the President’s passion for their welfare, he was satisfying the moral component that the Ghana Armed Forces personally needed.
He noted that by virtue of the President’s promise to equip the military to the best standards, he was satisfying the physical component that the Ghana Armed Forces needed; saying ‘and most importantly, for the moral component, you are satisfying it by telling us to give the right kind of leadership and ethics that the Ghana Armed Forces need”.
“With this, we think that as a team, we are on course, and we will be doing this so that we are able to help you in resetting the Ghana Armed Forces in line with the broader vision of resetting the Ghana agenda.”
Major General Agyapong said however, they were not oblivious of the challenges ahead; adding that “we are aware that it will require tough decisions but we are inspired by the fact that you have assured that you give us a backing that we need to be able to do all this”.
In attendance at the event was Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who is also the Chairperson of the Armed Forces Council.
Other Government officials in attendance included Mr Julius Debrah, the Chief of Staff, Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, the Defence Minister, Alhaji Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, the Minister for the Interior and Mr Prosper Douglas Bani, the National Security Adviser.
GNA
GRB