SPECIAL FORCE (SF)

1. To remember all on these year’s Independent Day Celebration, some troops were seen at the parade presenting them as SF which brought fear to the general public. Just after the celebrations, the said SF was dissolved. 72 young soldiers of the rank of Cpls and below were later sent to Asutuare Camp to be train for a special purpose known to the GAF. An official letter from the Chief of Staffs of the GAF indicated the distribution of the entire GAF into 3 groups to be deployed in 8 out of the 10 Regions.

2. They have completed the training and have been deployed with their own tasks. They have been divided into three groups. The 1st group is located at Agyriganor and are been trained by some Cuban Expects and Personal Security Officers (PSO) of Castle. The 2nd group lives in the Barracks and performs their duties to and from the Castle. To remember you, during the funeral of the Late President Mills, some young men were seen in suits with red ties; they are the 3rd group. At the moment, they are located at an unknown place. Under-listed are few of the SF whose names have been retrieved:

Cpl Dormabele Snr Cpl Dormabele Jnr Cpl Tando Cpl Ankemah L/Cpl Ameyaw L/Cpl Natornah L/Cpl Issah L/Cpl Anyomi L/Cpl Yeboah Pte Bu-Blaummeh Pte Boakye Pte Adrah Pte Mohamed Pte Oppong

3. During the 2008 General Election, NDC won most of the Central Region Poll through the help from 64 Infantry Regiment. Similar task has been assigned them this year. Locations to operate are Cape Coast Metropolis, KEEA Municipality, Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa, Assin North and South Districts and Winneba. According to a letter I have seen, suitable accommodation has been allocated to them in those locations for same duties and the CO – 64 is to visit Dunkwa-on-Offin for same task. Their aim is to organize a fake duty call, OPERATION PEACE TRAIL, just to deceive the people around, of their safety during and after the incoming election. In his brief, he also talked of an effort being made to ask for old vehicles from Forestry Commission to be repaired for such operation in the Central Region.

4. In the GAF, every unit purchases its own Corps of Drums. In the issue of 64 Infantry Regiment, according to the CO, he had received 16 brand new musical instruments from National Security for the establishment of their Unit Corps of Drums. As we are talking, some personnel are undergoing training at the Central Band. At the moment, the 64 Infantry Regiment as they are known to the public, but whose real name is (SIX FOUR – 6, 4), meaning June Fourth, are been portray as Super-Powers of the GAF. I don’t know whether it has come to your notice; have you watched its colours and that of NDC Party colours, what is the difference?

5. During Colonel Oppong-Peprah’s period as CO 64 Inf Regt, he put up a 1 x 10-Unit Flat project, which was almost at the finishing stage (Roofing) located closer to the Recce Regt and 64 Cook House. This project has been abundant for so many years. From the present CO’s brief, he made mentioned of shortage of funds to complete the said project, so assistance is needed. Right now, the unit has putting up timber on the project with the help from Directorate of Engineer Service.

Questions

There are so many areas recognized as problem zone, Central Region has never been describe as such, why is it that, only that Region has been chosen for such duties and not the other problem areas like as Hohoe and others?

The GAF is to provide all the needed equipment to operate on any duty it wants to perform. Can High Command tell the whole nation, why they are going for unserviceable vehicles from the Forestry Department and this time, it is not from their usual National Security?

Talking about the corps of drums for every unit in the GAF, it is a way of investment for all units not to depend fully on the GAF. Upon that, all Units purchase its own Corps of Drums, but this time, 64 Inf Regt received a free Drums from the National Security. Why, was it donated from the National Security?

Can the CO state where his project is located, apart from that of Col Oppong-Peprah’s project?

6. Talking of statistics of Command structure in the GAF, specifically, how Battalion Units are been run. Under-listed is the table of prove:

Srl Rank Full Name Unit Appt Date Remarks (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) 1 Col Anthony KwasiDzisi Pay Office 12 Mar 09 Ewe 2. Lt Col Mohammed Mustapha 48 Engrs 31 Dec 08 Ewe 3. Lt Col Wekite Abase Seidu 66 Arty 12 Mar 09 North 4. Lt Col Cornelius KoblaLithur 3 Bn 22 Jul 09 Ewe 5. Lt Col Lawrence Gbetanu 5 Bn 22 Jul 09 Ewe 6. Lt Col Stephen KwakuParbey 4 Bn 08 Jul 10 Ewe 7. Lt Col James Hagan 6 Bn 22 Jul 11 Akan 8. Lt Col Isaac Nicholas Paintsil 64 Regt 09 Mar 12 Fanti (But) 9. Lt Col George Tawiah Sam 2 Bn 17 Jul 12 Fanti 10. Lt Col Frederick DankyiNtiri 1 Bn 09 Mar 12 Ewe 11. Lt Col Ben Gah Recce Regt 21 May 12 Ewe 12. Lt Col F Ampofo-Gyakye ABF 25 Aug 12 Akan (But) 13. Maj AduseiPoku Central Band 29 Feb 12 North Volta

PROMOTION OTHER RANKS MANDATORY NUMBER OF YEARS IN RANK SERVICE AND COURSES ATTENDED – 25 YEARS

7. Before a soldier is promoted, one has to cover some period. Under-listed are tables to show the structure of GAF promotion.

Srl Rank Years In Rank Years In Service Courses Remarks (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) 1. Recruit 6 Mths 6 Mths Recruit Trg 6 Months 2. Private Class III 6 Mths 1 Year Candidates should attend relevant career courses Annual Report/Confidential Reports should accompany all recommendations 3. Private Class II 6 Mths 2 Years 4. Private Class I 6 Mths 4 Years 5. L/Cpl to Cpl 4 Years 8 Years 6. Cpl to Sgt 4 Years 12 Years 7. Sgt to Staff Sgt 3 Years 15 Years 8. Staff Sgt to WOII 3 Years 18 Years 9. WOII to WOI 2 Years 20 Years

8. In the military, every soldier has to be in a Substantive Paid rank before been moved to higher rank. WOII Joseph Kaku was enlisted into the GAF in 1999. The said WOII is a cousin and a personal Clerk of the CDS. He has in the short time rising from the rank of a Cpl to WOII in less than 4 years. He was a Cpl in 2004, when he offended and was reduced from his rank to a Private Soldier and appointed L/Cpl same day. On 15th Jun 08, he was promoted from L/Cpl to Cpl. 31st Dec 08 almost 6 months, he was appointed Acting Sgt. A rank he was never given a Substantive Paid Rank but was promoted to Staff Sgt on 10th Jul 09, less than 1 years. He is at the moment a (WOII) on 5th Jul 12, but low and behold, he was back dated by higher command to read 31st Dec 11, almost 7 months back dated. He is less than 13 years in service and boosting about that, he will surely be promoted to WOI by the end of the year because of his relationship with the CDS.

9. S/Sgt Sulemana Mohammed was also enlisted into the GAF in 2003. He is a staff at the CDS office. He has risen from A/Cpl to S/Sgt in less than 4 years. On 29th Jan 09, he was appointed Acting Cpl. He never had his Substantive Paid Rank but was promoted Sgt on 10th Jul 09, in less than 6 months. He is at the moment a (S/SGT) on 5th Jul 12, but was also back-dated by higher authorities to read 31st Dec 11. He is less than 9 years in service and believing surely that, he will be promoted to WOII by the end of the year, because he is working with the CDS.

10. In 2003, S/Sgt Mohammed Awal was enlisted into the GAF. Right now, he is a personal driver of the CDS. He has risen from A/Cpl to S/Sgt in less than 4 years. On 21st Jan 09, he was appointed Acting Cpl. He was promoted Substantive Paid Cpl on the 1st Dec 09, in less than 1 year. He was again appointed Acting Sgt on the 7th Nov 10, a rank that he was never given a Substantive Paid Rank in less than 9 months. As we are talking, he is a (S/SGT) on 5th Jul 12, but was back-dated by higher command to read 31st Dec 11. He is less than 9 years in service and believing surely that he will be promoted to WOII by the end of the year, because he is the driver of the CDS.

11. S/Sgt Abdulai Haruna was also enlisted into the GAF in 2003; he is also a personal driver of the CDS. He has risen from A/Cpl in less than 4 years to S/Sgt. On 22nd May 08, he was appointed Acting Cpl. On 10th Jul 09, he was promoted to the higher rank of Sgt, whereby he was never promoted a Substantive Paid Cpl. Right now, he is a (S/SGT) on 5th Jul 12, but was back dated by higher authorities to read 31st Dec 11. He is less than 9 years in service and believing surely that he will be promoted to WOII by the end of the year, because of him being his personal driver.

12. Sgt Williams Acheampong was also enlisted into the GAF in 2003, and a Body Guard of the CDS. He was posted to this office when his formal Body Guard went for officer commission. Almost all his mates in the Battalion Unit where he was posted from to this office are either L/Cpl’s or A/Cpl’s. He had his SGT rank on 5th Jul 12, but was back dated by higher authorities to read 31st Dec 11. He is less than 9 years in service and believing surely that he will be promoted to S/SGT by the end of the year as a Body Guard to the CDS.

13. According to the GAF Regulation, all service personnel are to serve for 25 years before retirement. Again, for a soldier to be promoted, he/she has to under-go a medical check-up and completes a form called Re-engagement. In every soldier’s first 10 years in service, he/she is automatic re-engaged by the Forces Records Office. His/her first re-engagement that need a medical check-up is at age 15 of service. Right now, some of the soldiers are over 25 years and have finished all his/her re-engagement period, not retirement and still serving the nation. Command is not accepting their promotion to their next high rank. Information indicates that, he/she should be re-engaged before promoted. Till date, High Command has not come out clearly of how many years a soldier is to serve before retirement where by one will be qualify to his next higher rank.

QUESTIONS

a. Talking of WOII Kaku, troops want to know whether the mandated years of service for promotion are working or not?

b. Why was WOII Kaku and the other staffs in the CDS Office not promoted to a Substantive Ranks before their next higher rank and whether the years in rank and service are workable?

c. Is it ones fault to work with lower offices or should everybody work with High Authorities before he/she is promoted?

d. How come Command has sat down for the CDS’s Staff to be promoted in less than 4 years from a lower rank to the higher ranks?

INCOMING ELECTION

14. Information gathered from High Command indicated that, troops who have just rotated from UNIFIL – Lebanon, UNMIL – Liberia. UNOCI in La Cote D’Ivoire and MONUSCO – Congo cannot vote in the incoming general elections but have registered with the ongoing Biometric. Right now, the EC is registering Diplomat for proxy votes in the Barracks.

15. On 27th September, 2012, at the 5Bn Junior Rank Mess, troops received lectures on Operation Peace Trail from the Greater Accra Regional Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Alexander Opoku-Akubea on Troop’s Role Before, During and After election. Questions time was allowed after the lectures for the troops. A soldier asked a question on the CI 78 issue that, if the CI 78 will bring any problem in the nation, why can’t the nation wait for the right time? He answered and I quote, “I wonder how people who called themselves Politicians and Learned Lawyers can be that STUPID by saying, the timing was wrong and that there were errors in the CI’s. Who created these errors? Wasn’t it their own political gains, just because they don’t want the CI to come into being” unquote.

16. A question about proxy votes was also thrown to him and he said, “As for the proxy voting, it will come on and it is to our favor. At first, we decided not to agree to the proxy voting, but we later thought it otherwise, because we do not want to disenfranchise any soldiers that would be away. Their number can make up difference.

17. Another question was asked on ROPAL not being implemented, but people are been registered abroad by EC? And this was what he said, “Yes, ROPAL is not implemented, however there is the need to register students on government scholarships and Embassy officials and staffs and those on mission aboard. This is not the first time we undertook such exercise. We have been doing this for many years when it was their time, because all those people must vote” he retorted.

18. Generally, the gentleman’s demeanour pointed to the fact that, he was acting as representative of the government and not an independent as they always want people to believe them. In fact, everything he said was directly in favour of the government with the mind set that, all the soldiers in the lecture room are in support of their present government.

QUESTIONS:

a. Can Command tell troops who have returned from the above-mentioned missions and has already registered, why they cannot vote? If they are refused voting, then who is going to use their names to vote?

b. Troops want to know how the proxy voting is going to work as most of the troops are already in the mission area?

c. Authorities have started registration for Diplomats and Government appointees in the Mission Areas. Information gathered indicates that they will be voting on proxy basis, what is the truth in this story?

d. With this short brief, why can’t Mr. Alexander Opoku-Akubea the Greater Accra EC being brought to book for polluting the soldiers?

STATE OF IN-SECURITY

19. From the initial days of Kufour’s government, when the Operation Calm Life started in the cities of Accra, GAF was operating with 12 Pick-Up vehicles and were chalking all the success from the entire public. To tell you the truth, as for the troops that are being paid from the public tax are willing to serve the nation when all needed equipment’s are in place and available. At the moment, the said duties is been operating with 3 vehicles till date instead of the 12, all this is due to lack of maintenance of the vehicles, bad tires and other uncontrollable difficulties on the vehicles.

20. Talking about in-security in the country, it is totally different from the Peace Talk being preached by the Prez and his team. I am to inform you that, some retire loyal soldier of the 1983 Group for the present government have being call by the National Security and are been used with issued Military Uniforms. To mention few of the retired soldiers we have seen in military uniform is EX WOI’s MARTEY and LATSUA who was formally with the Military Academy Training School (MATS). Right now, that is the topic on all tables everywhere in the Barracks. In the beginning of the year, the National Security bought 500 per of Camouflage Uniforms from the Army Shop.

QUESTION

a. Command should come out and tell us why the vehicles for Operation Clam Life have dropped from 12 to 3 till date?

b. Can Command tell the entire nation, if there are not enough vehicles available to operate in Accra, then why the new Operation at Central Region which is going to borrow unserviceable vehicles from Forestry?

c. What is Command saying about the retire soldiers in military uniforms and where they got the said military uniform from?

Source: www. prahprince-prince.blogspot.com