A pullout ceremony has been held for Lt. Col. Edward Sarpong Appiah, Commanding Officer of the 66 Artillery Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces.

Lt. Col. Jalali Din Ibrahim, who has been the Commander Rear for over a year, assumed the position as Commanding Officer after a colourful ceremony.

The handing and taking over ceremony was witnessed by Brigadier-General Samuel Yeboah Asare, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Southern Command, as well as several stakeholders in the Volta and Oti regions, including political and religious leaders.

There was the transfer of the Unit Colours, the hoisting of the new Command Flag, and the exchange of the Baton, the symbol of authority and command. An exchange of lanyards completed the command transfer, and the signing of takeover notes immediately followed in the presence of the GOC.

Lt. Col. Appiah took over as the 17th Commander of the Regiment in December 2020, and in a farewell address, thanked the Unit and the people of the two regions for a successful leadership regime that secured peace for the areas.

The outgoing Commanding Officer reassured the regions and called for continuous support for his successor, saying, “The 66th Artillery Regiment will continue to defend and protect the citizens of the two regions.”

“To Lt. Col. JB Ibrahim, I congratulate you on your well-deserved appointment as Commanding Officer of this regiment. You are today taking over a professional, united, and motivated unit.

"Having worked with you over the years and as my intake mate, I have no doubt that the regiment is in safe hands. I am confident that you will be a successful Commanding Officer, and you can always count on my support whenever the need arises,” he said.

The new Commanding Officer was born in Accra and had basic education at the nation’s main garrison.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Sociology and a Master of Science in Defence and International Politics, and has held numerous appointments at the 66 Artillery, where he remained posted until 2012 when he served at the Ghana Military Academy, rising to become a Course Commander. Lt. Col. JD Ibrahim rejoined the Artillery Regiment in 2019, and has to his credit several international roles with the United Nations.

Brigadier General Samuel Yeboah Asare, the GOC, commended the status of the Regiment under the leadership of Lt. Col. Appiah, and said, “His tenure has been characterised by a series of accomplishments that have enhanced the Regiment’s operational capabilities and uplifted its reputation within the Ghana Armed Forces.” The GOC was confident the Regiment had been passed on to an equally competent hand, and urged soldiers to extend to the new Commanding Officer their full support.

“Lt. Col. JB Ibrahim has been the Commander Rear of the Unit for the past 15 months that the Commanding Officer has been away on United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Abyei-Sudan and within that period he has proven beyond all reasonable doubt that he is more than capable of leading the Unit.

"Today, as we witness this transfer of command, we also celebrate the continuity of leadership that ensures the sustained excellence of the Regiment. I am therefore confident that under his leadership the Regiment will continue to scale new heights and uphold the highest standard set by his predecessor,” he said.

The GOC added that the outgoing Commanding Officer’s exploits, aside from securing peace in the regions, also included efforts to acquire new weapons systems and further improve accommodation within the barracks with the construction of modern multi-storey apartments. “Kudos Lt. Col. Sarpong Appiah for a good job done,” he said. “Keep on working hard wherever you find yourself and may your success crown your efforts,” he added.

Brigadier General Asare used the occasion to remind the Army of their sacred tie to the nation and its peace, and said soldiers must remain professional in the discharge of their duties. Scores of security heads in the Volta and Oti regions joined the emotional pullout ceremony, which closed off the Ho Barracks Road for about an hour.