[ 2017-02-02 ]

Dominic Nitiwul has indicated plans to change the retirement age in the Ghana Armed Force

Military service period to be increased to 30yrs – Dominic Nitiwul
Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul has indicated
plans by his outfit to begin a process to change
the retirement age of recruits in the Ghana Armed
Forces (GAF).

In this regard, the ministry will, in March this
year, submit a proposal to parliament to increase
the service period, which is currently at 25, to
30.

This is in line with a promise by the New
Patriotic Party (NPP) to increase the retirement
age of recruits during the 2016 election
campaigns.

Recruitments

Addressing journalists on his first day in office
at the ministry in Accra yesterday, Mr Nitiwul
said if approved, the policy would not affect the
number of personnel GAF recruited annually, adding
that the challenge would be for their various
commanders to manage them.

“Those who qualify to be recruited will be taken
and those who do not qualify will be left out. The
amendment bill will not affect recruitment in
anyway,” Mr Nitiwul said.

“The implication is that over the next four
years, few people will be retiring from the
military and, therefore, the number in the
military will change drastically and the president
is prepared for the consequences.”

Before being led to his office, Mr Nitiwul
inspected a parade held in his honour at the
ministry.

Housing plan

The minister also announced the roll-out of a
housing programme dubbed “Barracks Regeneration
Project”.

Under the project, old houses will be renovated
while new ones will be built to accommodate more
personnel.

“There will be a prototype of the project in
March which will involve all the stakeholders,”
he added.

Ghanaian troops

Commenting on the situation in The Gambia, the
minister explained that members of the Ghanaian
troop were currently protecting both the Ghanaian
community and the President.

He said there is a Ghanaian community in The
Gambia where the troops had been stationed, and
members of the community were all doing well.

Mr Nitiwul said “the troop will return home as
soon as stability returns to The Gambia”.

Source - Graphic Online.com

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