Accra, Dec 1, GNA- Mr. William Ofori Boafo, Member for Akropong, on Tuesday called on the government to make substantial budgetary allocation to the Armed Forces to enable them to carry out their duties efficiently. He said Ghana had performed creditably well in countries such as Sudan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Kosovo and the Middle East and it was unfortunate that the lack of military equipment was impeding its peace keeping duties. Mr. Boafo who was contributing to the 2010 budget statement presented to Parliament two weeks ago, said Ghana Airforce had been awarded a contract in the Ivory Coast which demanded the use of Helicopters and appealed to the Ministry of Finance to assist them to efficiently execute the job. He also recommended to the government to acquire a commercial aircraft that would not only transport soldiers on Peacekeeping, but would also run some commercial errands for the Ministry of Defense and other organizations in the country.

The MP who is also the Ranking Member for Interior and Defense, appealed to the government to step up the budgetary allocation for the 37 Military hospital as it was not making enough money. He explained that the Hospital was offering free medical care to soldiers and their families and only charged the civilians who attended the facility which was not enough to sustain the facility. Mr. Boafo called for a comprehensive security policy that would enhance the establishment of concrete measures to strengthen the military and other security services throughout the country. Mr. Albert Kan Dapaah, Member for Afigya Sekyere West, urged the leadership of the National Democratic Congress to close their ranks in order to facilitate the smooth running of the country. "The current bickering and infighting in the NDC leadership was not only affecting NDC members , but the entire nation as such activities was retarding and slowing down the process of development in the country. He also urged the government to approach national issues with decorum and avoid shifting blames on the past administration. 1 Dec. 09