According to Mr. Nitiwul, he only advised the former President to leave the disputed land to avoid being drawn into the ongoing battle over the site.

[contextly_sidebar id=”f87MufMO7htLIlVe2xlvZ8YRCd5ozbA7″]”I mentioned former president Mahama and said that where he was living, that land is in dispute between several Labadi families and the military. It would not be in his interest as former Commander-in-Chief to live there because people are making reference to him as the one living there with others also encroaching,” he said on Eyewitness News.

“If you want to take on somebody, they say the former President is living there as well. I said that if I were him, I would not stay in the place. I said that where Mahama is living is not good for him or for us because big people, top politicians have appropriated military lands so he should leave the area as it won’t help us as a people.”

A fiery Dominic Nitiwul had appeared to appeared to state, when he addressed a Meet The Press event last week, that top government officials who were living on land taken from the Armed Forces “should leave.”

He criticized the previous administration for their poor handling of matters relating to the country’s Armed Forces, claiming that land belonging to the military had been sold off under their tenure.

“…I am talking about the former President, John Mahama. I will say no more, but I am very disturbed about this.  It is happening in Tamale, it is happening in Takoradi and Lands Commission is colluding to do that. People in Lands Commission were selling Armed Forces lands. Not under this watch, that cannot happen any longer, and anybody who decides to encroach on Armed Forces lands should leave. It is not in your interest. I am sorry; but that is the truth that we did not manage the Armed Forces lands very well, ” he noted.

However, Dominic Nitiwul has now insisted that he did not order Mr. Mahama to leave the said land as he had no power to do so, but only recommended that he relocated in his interests.

“I said that I don’t have the power to order [Mahama] to leave the area, but I advised that it would be good for him to leave the area because he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and the military have made it very clear that they need that land.  If you go to some portions of Burma Camp, you may not be able to differentiate military property from civilian property, and that is not good for any us, ” he added.

‘Reckless, Distasteful’ 

The Defence Minister came under fire for his comments, with many critics claiming that it was a political vendetta against John Mahama.

The Office of the former President also responded, rubbishing the suggestions that Mr. Mahama had appropriated military land for his benefit.

In a strongly-worded statement which was released in the wake of the Minister’s comments, John Mahama’s Special aide, Joyce Bawah Mogtari stated emphatically that the former President had not taken possession of any land owned by the military and also called for an apology from the Minister.

She also described the comments made by Mr. Nitiwul as irresponsible, and dismissed them as mere propaganda from a state official who is expected to act with more decorum.

However, Dominic Nitiwul has defended his comments suggesting that he sought to assure the military that land belonging to them would be reclaimed as his government had promised.

“We said in our manifesto that we were going to protect military lands, so we didn’t just wake up and start talking about military lands. We’ve done a lot of what we said we’d do except a few things, he explained.

“We have increased the allowances for the soldiers, we have got the 11.1% for the civilian workers, we now pay soldiers at the UN at the operation theaters, and we’ve made sure that we’ve paid all the arrears, and that soldiers are given what they are supposed to get.”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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In a strongly-worded statement which was released in the wake of the Minister’s comments, Joyce Bawah Mogtari stated emphatically that the former President had not taken possession of any land owned by the military.

[contextly_sidebar id=”3G0ELWfv8Liyo2BEdvOVhf4eK2da91u3″]The statement added that the property in which the former first family currently resides has been at the site for years.

“We presume that the minister’s irresponsible claim is in respect of the current residence of the former first family.  President Mahama has not appropriated or acquired any land or property belonging to the military and which he is currently occupying.”

“President Mahama has not appropriated or acquired any land or property belonging to the military and which he is currently occupying”, Joyce Mogtari stated.

“This Office is appalled at the minister’s unfounded accusation because any serious Defence Minister, with the Military Intelligence apparatus under him would know that President Mahama has no claim to the ownership of the land of the property in which he resides,” the statement added.

The statement further clarified that, “the former president and his family as is commonly known, currently resides in a residential estate developed by a private real estate development company. The estate has been in existence for several years and the former first family lives peacefully with several Ghanaian and expatriate neighbours.”

Dominic Nitiwul had demanded, when he addressed a Meet the Press session on Thursday, that John Mahama vacates the residence as it was sited on military land.

He criticized the previous administration for their poor handling of matters relating to the country’s armed forces, claiming that land belonging to the military had been sold off to government officials at the time.

“…I am talking about the former President, John Mahama. I will say no more, but I am very disturbed about this.  It is happening in Tamale, it is happening in Takoradi and Lands Commission is colluding to do that. People in Lands Commission were selling Armed Forces lands. Not under this watch, that cannot happen any longer, and anybody who decides to encroach on Armed Forces lands should leave. It is not in your interest. I am sorry; but that is the truth that we did not manage the Armed Forces lands very well.” he noted”

The statement described the comments made by the Defence Minister as irresponsible, and dismissed them as mere propaganda from a state official who is expected to act with more decorum.

“It is sad that the minister with oversight responsibility over our men and women in uniform, who risk their lives to preserve the security of our nation, would descend into the gutter and dabble in propaganda of the most undesirable kind. This behaviour falls short of the requirements of a Defence Minister whose office calls for sobriety and reflection,” the statement concluded.

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Formerly known as the Ghana Industrial Holding Footwear Company Limited (GIHOC), the Kumasi Shoe Factory was revived in 2012 through a joint partnership between a Czech company, Knight Ghana Limited, and Defence Industries Holding Company Limited (DIHOC), which is owned by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

[contextly_sidebar id=”6ifNBLgoXJUvyE9FrZeaaG1xtpeZMYz2″]The company was tasked with solely producing boots for purchase by the Armed Forces and other security agencies, and footwear for students locally and for export.

However, since then, the factory has been on the verge of collapse, with a tour by government officials in August revealing that only 49 workers were currently employed there.

The factory has reportedly trained over 200 workers, but because of irregular orders, only one-third of them are currently working.

At full capacity, the factory could have about 800 workers, and would create an extra 200 jobs indirectly for distributors.

According to Mr. Nitiwul, the Ghana Armed Forces who are also shareholders in the business have been sidelined, with no accounts rendered to them by the private managers of the facility.

“Up until now, we haven’t been able to hold a single board meeting because for some reason, government wanted to give a grant of six million cedis from one of the funds. We then picked an individual, gave him this money and gave out, as part of the six million, a grant of four million. That individual has 60%, and the armed forces have 40%. I have paid a lot of money to this individual,” he said when he took his turn at the Meet the Press Series today [Thursday].

“Nobody is accountable to me because the individual believes the company is for him. That’s why the Kumasi Shoe Factory is having the problems it is in now. The structure was wrong. The Armed Forces has no control over the shoe factory.”

Inferior materials

Deputy Minister of Defense, Major Derek Oduro, blamed the current state of the company on a lack of quality resources for production when he visited the facility earlier in the year.

According to him, despite the fact that the factory was stocked with the machinery it needed to operate, the absence of materials needed to manufacture the footwear, and the substandard nature of the ones which were available, had meant that operations at the facility have stalled.

“The factory has been set up and the equipment are there but where to get quality raw materials to produce quality boots and other leather works is the problem now.”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Kumasi shoe factory managers collapsing the company – Nitiwul appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to them, some individuals are using the names and pictures of some senior Army officers to unlawfully solicit funds from the public with the promise to enlist them into the army.

Speaking to Citi News, the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Armed Forces, Col. Aggrey-Quarshie, said, the military police are following up on some leads to arrest the perpetrators.

“Currently, we are following some leads, about 4 different leads. Our worry is that, a lot of people continue to fall victim to these fraudsters….It is becoming one too many; and we just want the public to understand that no senior officer will go on social media and try to solicit funds from people to assist them to recruit them,” he said.

The Police has on separate occasions arrested and prosecuted persons who have defrauded unsuspecting Ghanaians under the pretext of getting them jobs in the army.

In 2015, a 32-year-old man was fined for defrauding two drivers of GHs24,200.

The suspect claimed that he was a senior officer at the Achiase Jungle Warfare School, and promised the suspects he would get them recruited to the military.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Armed Forces worried over influx of ‘fake soldiers’ appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has admonished military personnel to eschew partisan politics in the discharge of their duties.

He said it was imperative that the military becomes insulated from contentious partisan politics, irrespective of which constitutionally elected authority was in power.

“We must all be grateful to the Almighty that there is now a firm and widespread consensus in our country that the military takes its powers from the elected civilian government….We do not want NPP soldiers, nor do we want NDC soldiers. We want Ghanaian soldiers, who will serve any government, duly elected by the Ghanaian people, with equal zeal and loyalty,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo gave the advice on Friday when he held his maiden durbar, as Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, with officers and other ranks of the Armed Forces in Accra.

Touching on the role of technology, he told the military to be mindful of social media.

“The ubiquitous smart phone means that your every word and your every action is likely to be recorded for broadcast. Members of the military would do well also to remember this,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo also urged the hierarchy of the military to review constantly some of the practices that used to define the military.

“What would have passed for and been acceptable as rough language and punishment is intolerable in today’s world, and should be discarded, no matter how attractive it might have been in a bygone era. The reality of social media must always be kept in mind and ways to adapt found, rather than hark to the old days when the affairs of the barracks were kept strictly in the barracks,” he added.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Shun partisan politics; be loyal to Ghana – Nana Addo to military appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It said it was working to bring justice to the deceased and those affected by his murder.

[contextly_sidebar id=”lBIiq2Tq6ZuQFYOtkw3nh6CiiIyD4Vas”]Captain Maxwell Mahama of the 5th Infantry Battalion was lynched and burnt by some angry residents at Diaso, the capital of the Upper West Denkyira District on Monday.

The Armed Forces in a statement signed by the Director of Public Relations, Colonel Aggrey-Quarshie, said it has commenced investigations into the murder.

The statement also said a fact-finding team led by the Chief of Army Staff is proceeding to the area to gather more information about the development.

“A high-powered fact-finding team led by the Chief of the Army Staff is proceeding to the scene of the incident to ascertain the facts of the case… In the meantime, our troops have been urged to remain calm whilst action is being taken to bring the perpetrators of this dastardly act to book.”

It is feared that the murder would incense other soldiers to raid the town and retaliate.

Earlier reports received by Citi News indicates that, some youth began fleeing the town last night after news of the killing went viral.

Meanwhile, Colonel Aggrey-Quarshie who said in a Citi Breakfast Show that the deceased was deployed for an anti-galamsey and anti-lumbering operation in the area, has indicated that other personnel deployed for the operation will not be withdrawn.

Military storm Denkyira-Obuasi, residents held hostage – DCE 

The District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Upper Denkyira West District, Daniel Appianin, has told Citi News that a team of military men have invaded Denkyira-Obuasi beating up residents in the area.

According to the DCE, the military men had taken about 80 men hostage, while women and children have been camped in a church in the town.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Diaso lynching: Armed Forces calls for calm among soldiers appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The soldier, Captain Maxwell Mahama is reported to have been lynched and burnt by some youth at Diaso, a small town in the area who mistook him for an armed robber.

The incident, which happened on Monday [May 29]  morning, has sent heightened anxiety among the townsfolk after the perpetrators of the heinous crime realised the deceased was a military man on official duty.

The Armed Forces in a statement signed by the Director of Public Relations, Col. Aggrey-Quarshie said a fact-finding team led by the Chief of Army Staff is proceeding to the area to gather more information about the development.

“A high-powered fact-finding team led by the Chief of the Army Staff is proceeding to the scene of the incident to ascertain the facts of the case.”

He said they were collaborating with the police and other security agencies to bring perpetrators to book.

“GAF is working closely with the police and other security agencies to unravel the full facts of the case.”

Captain Maxwell Mahama was an officer of the 5 Battalion of Infantry.

According to the Armed Forces, its “Initial report indicates the officer was lynched by locals of Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region whilst he was jogging at about 08.30 am on Monday 29 May 2017, under circumstances yet to be verified.”

“The officer was the detachment commander of our troops on operational duties in the general area.”

The Armed Forces has also urged its personnel to remain calm as the due procedure is taken to bring the perpetrators to book.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Armed Forces begins investigation into murder of Capt. Mahama appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the Defense Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, some 5,000 soldiers do not have quality accommodation, which is one of the biggest challenges facing the Armed Forces.

Three contracts have also been awarded for the construction of three high-rise buildings, ahead of the broader improvement of the army barracks.

The government had previously reassured troops that all barracks across the country would be refurbished and renovated and that more residential accommodation facilities would be provided to reduce the acute accommodation problem facing troops.

Mr. Nitiwul made this known at the sod cutting ceremony of two six-unit housing blocks at the Southern Command Headquarters in Accra.

“Government has released GHc 23 million to complete the SSNIT buildings that have been there for the last 10 years. At the same time, the government has tasked me to, within the next three months, award projects for three high-rise buildings for a start and later on, they will roll out the real barracks regeneration project.”

Mr. Nitiwul expressed hope that others organisations will “adopt this kind of thing for us [the Army] whether they are banks, corporate bodies, GNPC or any other person so that gradually, we will be able to do something about it [the regeneration of the barracks].”

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By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t releases GHc23m for Army flats appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.