Defense Minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah has defended the decision to remove Army Generals.
According to him, the removal followed precedence and laid down rukles of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The Minister made this known while answering a question psed by the Assin South MP, John Ntim Fordjour, regarding the rationale behind the termination of 15 Major Generals and equivalent officers.
He explained:
The Need to Answer The Wrong Question in Parliament
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Yesterday, supported by my able Deputy Minister Brogya Genfi I visited Parliament to answer a wrong question filed by the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev. Ntim Fordjour.
Here are excerpts from my speech on the Floor of Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, let me be abundantly clear. Even though Rev. John Ntim Fordjour alludes to the termination of “all Fifteen (15) Major Generals (2 Star) and equivalent…” I must state that the Honourable Member of Parliament for Assin South got his question wrong.
Respectfully, if the wrong question is not corrected it can mislead the public since the cameras are here.
Here are the facts:
• Eight (
Major Generals (2 Star) had reached the point to commence their terminal leave pending compulsory retirement.
• Four (4) Major Generals (2 Star), aged between 60 and 62 years are to be released prior to their mandatory retirement age (63) in accordance with GAF Regulations and precedence (norms and practices).
• Mr. Speaker, let me add, Major General Irvin Nii-Ayittey Aryeetey who is among the
eight ( is being sponsored in the rank of Lieutenant General to compete for the high office of Military Adviser, office of the Military Affairs of the Department of Peace
Operations at the Assistant Secretary General Level at the United Nations
Headquarters in New York, U.S.A.
Mr. Speaker this means altogether twelve (12) Major Generals out of which eight ( were due for their terminal leave prior to compulsory retirement will be released from the service sometime in December 2025 and January 2026, save for Major General Irvin Ayittey being appointed at the UN.
Mr. Speaker in the spirit of transparency and accountability, I wish to account for the
whereabout of the three (3) Major Generals who are not on terminal leave pending compulsory retirement in order to settle this issue comprehensively and exhaustively:
1. Maj Gen Robert Affram – Is serving currently as Deputy Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS),
2. Maj Gen Anita Asmah – Is also serving currently as Force Commander, United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), and
3. AVM Felix Asante – Has been appointed as the Acting President, National Defence
University (NDU) in Ghana.
My responses further relied on time-tested precedence:
Precedence within the Ghana Armed Forces
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Mr. Speaker, in pursuing service efficiency, we relied on the time-tested precedence that has ensured the sustainability of the Fourth Republic.
Precedence following the transitions from
President Jerry John Rawlings of blessed memory to President John Agyekum Kufuor to President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills (also of blessed memory) to President John Dramani Mahama to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, served as a guide.
As an illustration (Major Generals are released at 63 and Lieutenant Generals are released at
65):
• In 2001, after a change of government, Six (6) Major Generals and Four (4) Lieutenant
Generals were released from the Ghana Armed Forces with their ages running from 56 to 62 [less than 63 and 65].
• In 2005, there were Seven (7) Major Generals – Mr. Speaker, in this instance, none of them were near their compulsory retiring age of 63 – in the Ghana Armed Forces.
All of them were released. I mean ALL of them were released unlike in our case where some have remained and are serving in valued and enviable capacities presently.
• It is instructive to note that when all the seven Major Generals were released in 2005, a Brigadier General was appointed as the CDS.
• In 2009, after another change of government, there were Six (6) Major Generals. Similarly, all of them were released and a Brigadier General was appointed as the CDS.
Rounding up, I assured Parliament that President John Dramani Mahama towards resetting Ghana sought to achieve Service Efficiency within the Ghana Armed Forces while complying with the rules of engagement.
