Ghana Armed Forces Must Be Regionally Balanced?

The chickens are home to roost! Facts and figures on the ground before the Kufuor administration took office on 7th January 2001 suggest that the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) was already a one region dominated. Though the Ghanaian constitution makes it mandatory that regional and gender balance should be taken into consideration in the recruitment and appointment of public officers, DAYBREAK’s checks reveal that the Volta region alone was commanding an alarming 27.28% of officers in the GAF as at the end of June 2000 and still commanded 26.98% of the other ranks by the end of first quarter early 2000. Official classified documents cited by DAYBREAK reveal that out of the total number of 816 Senior Army Officers, 220 are from the Volta region alone and the region has a further 37 out of the total number of 141 Senior Navy officers. The Volta region also commanded 48 out of the total number of 161 Officers in the Airforce. In the case of the Other Ranks, the Volta region alone has 2458 soldiers out of the 9013 men in the Army whiles in the Navy it has 226 men out of the total number of 1037. The same region also has 344 out of 1175 men in the Airforce. The data on the composition of the Ghana Armed Forces as at date 2000 are as follows: Officers: Ashanti Region has 110 for Army, 14 for Navy, 14 for Airforce bringing the total to 138 representing 12.35% Brong Ahafo has 22 for Army, 6 for Navy, 8 for Airforce bringing the total to 36 representing 3.22% Central Region has 85 for Army, 22 for Navy, 13 for Airforce bringing the total to 120 representing 10.74. %Eastern Region has 113 for Army, 25 for Navy, 29 for Airforce bringing the total to 167 representing 14.90%. Greater Accra has 85 for Army, 13 for Navy, 24 for Airforce bringing the total to 122 representing 10.92%. Northern Region has 54 for Army, 7 for Navy, 9 for Airforce bringing the total to 70 representing 6.27%. Upper East Region has 60 for Army, 5 for Navy, 6 for Airforce bringing the total to 71 representing 6.35%. Upper West Region has 37 for Army, 8 for Navy, 6 for Airforce bringing the total to 51 representing 4.57%. Volta Region has 220 for Army, 37 for Navy, 48 for Airforce bringing the total to 305 representing 27.28%. Western Region has 30 for Army, 4 for Navy, 4 for Airforce bringing the total to 38 representing 3.40%. Other Ranks: Ashanti Region has 834 for Army, 76 for Navy, 164 for Airforce bringing the total to 1076 representing 9.59%. Brong Ahafo has 444 for Army, 37 for Navy, 29 for Airforce bringing the total to 570 representing 4.45% Central Region has 780 for Army, 134 for Navy, 124 for Airforce bringing the total to 1038 representing 9.25%. Eastern Region has 1889 for Army, 217 for Navy, 300 for Airforce bringing the total to 2406 representing 21.40%. Greater Accra has 548 for Army, 84 for Navy, 136 for Airforce bringing the total to 768 representing 6.85%. Northern Region has 668 for Army, 108 for Navy, 25 for Airforce bringing the total to 801 representing 7.14%. Upper East Region has 570 for Army, 50 for Navy, 42 for Airforce bringing the total to 662 representing 5.90%. Upper West Region has 491 for Army, 48 for Navy, 25 for Airforce bringing the total to 564 representing 5.03%. Volta Region has 2458 for Army, 226 for Navy, 344 for Airforce bringing the total to 3028 representing 26.98%. Western Region has 269 for Army, 57 for Navy, 46 for Airforce bringing the total to 372 representing 3.32%. Should the trend continue?