The worthy precedent of judicious transition in the command of Ghana Armed Forces as was demonstrated by President Akufo-Addo in 2017 is as follows;

Only 2 Generals were replaced: the Chief of Defence Staff Air Marshal Samson Oje and Chief of Staff Major Gen Adeti. Major Gen Boamah Akwa who was then the Chief of Army Staff (appointed by Prez John Mahama) was appointed Chief of Defence Staff and promoted to Lt Gen (3-star). Major Gen Ayamdo, the next most senior General at the time, was appointed by Prez Akufo-Addo as Chief of Army Staff. It is worthy to note that then Chief of Air Staff and Chief of Naval Staff, Air Vice Marshal Mantsebi-Tei Nagai and Rear Admiral Peter Faidoo respectively, were not sacked, but maintained until they served their full term in 2019. 

The egoistic, disruptive, demoralizing and politically-motivated style of tsunami in top hierarchy of Ghana Armed Forces command demonstrated by John Mahama (dismissing all 15 most senior Generals prematurely before their term and retirement), has never been seen in the history of our democratic dispensation. Suffice to say that this style of conduct can only mirror command changes associated with military juntas and coup detat transitions. 

As a matter of fact, the millions of cedis in severance pay to be made to these unfairly and prematurely terminated senior generals nonetheless, another pressing concern is the millions of cedis that the state has to cough up in order to train the Brigadier Generals who have been elevated so as to fill the essential skills gap created by the termination of their seniors. 

In the exercise of oversight, the Minister for Defence, as a matter of urgency, shall be hauled before the Committee on Defence and Interior to provide answers to these concerns inter alia and offer assurances as to how this unprecedented transition would be managed to restore morale to the rank and file of Ghana Armed Forces.

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