The predictions of more kokofu promotions and appointments in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) continue to manifest at all levels, echelons and departments. The latest publication of the Military Secretary dated 17 August 2010 has very interesting revelations that had been predicted. The signs had been on the wall that the occupant of the hottest seat in the GAF since the inception of the NDC 3 (or is it the new NDC which has been ironically worst than the ancestral NDC 1&2?), the Director Manpower Planning, Colonel TN Ba-Taa-Banah, was going to be removed and sent to SIBERIA sooner than later.

It has happened and the indefatigable, brilliant, no-nonsense and courageous officer of the hall of fame in the Upper West Region has reached the final destination of the Trans-Siberian flight in Beijing, China, to begin a “one-year course of good riddance”.

Incidentally, the General who planned and executed the “Coup” to consign the uncompromising officer to Siberia allegedly led an “acceptance delegation” to the same Peoples Republic of China to prepare the grounds for the “hero’s” arrival and thank the Chinese Military High Command for their timely “rescue operation” to avert an imminent disgrace and defeat at the hands of truth and reality.

General JN Adinkrah, the Army Commander has allegedly led a delegation to inspect and accept military equipment of questionable quality which is being pushed down the throats of the GAF by a powerful ‘Mafia’.

As John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord Jesus Christ, so has the Army Commander been pushed by circumstances beyond his control to personally see to the arrival of Col TN Ba-Taa-Banah in China and hand him over to the military authorities there with specific instructions to monitor him well in the true sense of communist surveillance and imprisonment. The poor Colonel, a victim of circumstances, is to have all calls to and from him censured without his knowledge and suspicion.

What has been or was Colonel Ba-Taa-Banah‘s offence? His offence was that he was unnecessarily difficult and was an impediment to the NDC Agenda to recruit only NDC foot soldiers, cadres, members and relatives of members and functionaries into the GAF without regard to laid down qualifications, processes and procedures. Obviously, Colonel Ba-Taa-Banah would not give in easily to threats by the Military High Command, politicians and military officers turned politicians while still in uniform. But alas, the Colonel has been shown where power lies. “Who born dog?”, as former president JJ Rawlings would ask. Well God works in mysterious ways. The direct immediate boss of Colonel Ba-Taa-Banah, who was also very instrumental in his removal, is alleged to have had his “reward” on earth. It is believed that his sudden illness and attack by stroke cannot be accidental.

“It is not everybody that you can uproot just like that” retorted a senior officer also from the Upper West Region of Ghana reacting to the news of the removal of Colonel Ba-Taa-Banah after only 1½ years on the enviable seat of Director Manpower Planning.

Another soldier also hailing from the Upper West Region remarked that “they have not seen anything yet. They were lucky he (Colonel Ba-Taa-Banah) was not retired compulsorily. If that had happened, his Director General would not be recovering at the officers’ ward at the 37 Military Hospital. He would have moved from the Intensive Care Unit to the morgue”.

As if that was not enough, yet a third soldier also challenged the military authorities to go ahead and retire Air Commodore Dery to pave the way for Group Captain Boateng (an Ewe) and they would see what would happen.

The three military officers who had become so emotional and poised for action also confirmed that there is tension between military personnel from the three Northern Regions and their colleagues from the Volta Region. The power play has to do with the “sharing of war booty”.

The war was the 2008 general elections. After the defeat of the NPP the booty has been the appointment to high political and occupational offices of “Azorka boys” (from the Northern Regions) and the “Sese boys” (from the Volta Region). Both sides are accusing the other side of unfair treatment and cheating by the other.

The Sese boys feel that the Azorka boys have had the lion’s share of the booty in the Cabinet/Ministerial appointment in addition to the Vice President while the Azorka boys also feel that the Sese boys from only one region have had more Ministerial and other public offices in addition to the de facto Chief of Staff at the Castle (i.e. the Deputy Chief of Staff).

The struggle for and power play are mirroring on the sheets of promotions and appointments in the Ghana Armed Forces. A very senior Ewe officer argued that Northerners are in more strategic appointments in the GAF than the Ewes and mentioned a host of them to buttress his point including Director General Defence Intelligence, Military Secretary, Director General Logistics, Commandant Military Academy and Training Schools, Director General Joint Operations, Provost Marshall and Military Assistant to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

Well, this digression was to show that there is a latent tension between the Northerners and the Voltarians in the GAF and the removal of Colonel Ba-Taa-Banah has added fuel to the already ignited fire.

While Colonel Ba-Taa-Banah and his northern compatriots were wondering what would happen next, another officer in the Kokofu fraternity in the person of Colonel Musah Whajah was full of smiles as he was crowned the new Director Manpower Planning of the GAF.

Colonel Musah Whajah, a revolutionary product, triumphed over Colonels SMKAE Ayer and R Nyaka who had been favored by the Voltarians over the Westerners in this gruesome battle for the hottest seat in the Armed Forces.

Another significant observation was the posting of Colonel Willie Ayamdo to the Department of Defence Intelligence as the Deputy Director General. Colonel Ayamdo had been refused postings back to the Defence Intelligence on his return from Course Overseas later in 2009 for very strange and unprofessional reasons.

It appeared at the time that the “Mafia” was not comfortable with him at the Defence Intelligence. Unfortunately, his presence at the Ghana Military Academy also did not help them to sack a host of Akan officers who had been earmarked for dismissal from the GMA before 3rd September 2010.

The “Mafia” thinks that it is better to keep Colonel Ayamdo at the Defence Intelligence where he could be “tamed” and “contained” as opposed to his location at GMA where he had more freedom and room to maneuver. Additionally, the death in 2008 and 2009 of two former officers of the Defence Intelligence Department had put some fear in the “Mafia” to be more cautious especially when dealing with “Northern officers”.

The posting of Colonel E Tetteh-Akunor to replace Colonel Ayamdo as Deputy Commander of the Military Academy is a continuation of the “Kokofu” appointments. Colonel E Tetteh-Akunor is also a product of the revolution who worked at PNDC HQ at Gondar Barracks for several years. He is alleged to be linked seriously to the Mafia and took part in several revolutionary actions and activities in the 1980s and early 1990s.

He is currently enjoying the goodwill and support of the Castle and blue-gate. He is to help in “purging” the GAF of suspected NPP sympathizers as per Dr Kwabena Adjei’s purging of Judiciary by the several cat killing strategies. Colonel Tetteh-Akunor is to purge the officer Cadets in particular and the officer Corps in general of all Pro-NPP sympathizers.

The victimization of Lt Col MM Tahiru and Naval Captain SK Darbo is also worthy of mention. Lt Col MM Tahiru, who was the Financial Controller at GAFCSC when Colonel COA Nutakor took two series of three thousand dollars on a trip to Benin but never went, is being victimized for suspected collaboration with the leakage of the financial malfeasance.

According to reliable sources, Col Nutakor has refused to refund the amount with impunity and the poor Lt Col Tahiru had to be sacrificed just as Colonel Appiah Agyapong was.

Naval Captain SK Darbo who was to go to China as the Defence Advisor by the 6th January 2009 Military Secretary Publication and was replaced by Brigadier General Gborglah has been further demoted and humiliated. As a former FOF at the Western Naval Command, equivalent of a Formation Commander or Director General, he has now been posted to the General Headquarters as the Deputy Director General Plans and Development to be retired before or by the end of 2011, certainly before 2012 general elections.

While he was denied promotion to the rank of Commodore, his colleague occupying the same appointment, Commodore Zorwonoo, was promoted from the rank of Naval Captain last year while Naval Captain Darbo was hurriedly sent on a course overseas.

It is only those with myopic eyes who could not see through this trick. It is a similar treatment that was given to Colonel K Oppong-Otchere. The common crimes of the two officers are that they are both Akans from the three notorious regions (Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Eastern) specifically, Ashanti and Eastern respectively and were both to take appointments in the two most powerful nations of the world at the moment – USA and China. The eagle eyes, the rabbit ears and the dog noses of our scouts are monitoring every move, action, utterance and plans of the “Kokofu Mafia” with eagerness, diligence and full commitment.

The next issue will deal with real reasons why Colonel Ba-Taa-Banah was removed from office as DMP especially now that the Naval recruits have reported for training and the Army Second Batch is also under taking medical examinations at 37 Military Hospital.

The free-for-all medical examinations including those persons rejected by Colonel Ba-Taa-Banah especially those bussed to Burma Hall on 16th April 2009 and several others on the NDC Protocol List will be exposed with facts, figures, names, index numbers and telephone numbers.

So keep tuned for more!!!