MILITARY URGED TO KEEP PACE WITH MODERNITY (PAGE 23, JAN 2)

THE Minister of Defence, Lt Gen. Joseph Smith (retd) has charged officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to keep pace with modern trends in their chosen career, particularly in the area of “combat effectiveness”.
He also urged them to adopt a positive attitude to work, be disciplined and punctual.
This he said were critical to maintaining high standards and professionalism among military personnel.
Lt Gen. Smith was addressing officers and men of the six Garrison in Tamale during an official working visit to the area.
The visit was aimed at acquainting himself with the problems facing the garrison and to introduce himself to the personnel as the new defence minister.
“Modernisation of the GAF is critical because we are in the 21st century where nobody waits for anybody; we should therefore, keep pace with the challenges of our time,” he said.
He reminded the officers and men that the institution thrived on certain traditions and practices that made it an enviable institution.
“Those before us struggled to build a strong foundation; let us also make sure we build on what our forebears have done to keep the spirit of the institution alive, ” Lt. Gen Smith stressed.
He reminded them to continue to maintain discipline, saying Ghanaian soldiers were admired all over the world.
He, however, expressed concern about challenges such as inadequate logistics, old armoured vehicles and accommodation which he noted were the top priority of his ministry.
Lt Gen. Smith announced plans to procure “Strategic Aircraft” that could airlift 90 personnel at a time to facilitate the work of military personnel, while orientation in peacekeeping operations would be intensified among the personnel.
“We also need a strong navy for coastal surveillance; we are currently talking to the Chinese Government to support efforts at establishing a tailoring shop to generate income,” he stated.
According to the defence minister, the Government had agreed to help provide mobile clinics for the various military hospitals.