Colonel E. Aggrey-Quashie
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has dismissed a report in the pro-National Democratic Congress (NDC) Daily Post newspaper that solders are angry with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for not paying their peacekeeping allowance.
The newspaper reported that it had picked intelligence that reveals that not only soldiers returning home after their one-year peacekeeping duty in Lebanon who are angry with President Akufo-Addo for paying them a paltry $1,000 before they go on their compulsory leave, but also soldiers in general throughout the country are angry with him for failing to pay them the salary increment he promised.
But a statement dismissing the publication, signed by Colonel E. Aggrey-Quashie, Director, Public Relations, the GAF, indicates, “The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has noted with concern a false publication in the Daily Post newspaper on 12 October, 2017, claiming that troops on UN peacekeeping operations are being paid $31 instead of the $35 promised by Government. GAF wishes to state categorically that this information is totally false and without any iota of truth. It is hereby reiterated that the approved rate of payment remains $35 per soldier per day without any intention of reducing it.
“The negative comments being circulated with the intention of downplaying the efforts of Government in promoting troops’ welfare are considered to be in bad taste and the general public is hereby advised to disregard it.”
In March this year, President Akufo-Addo announced the increase in peacekeeping allowance from $31 to $35, taking retrospective effect from January.
Addressing the end-of-year get-together of the Ghana Armed Forces popularly called WASSA, President Akufo-Addo indicated that a number of pledges he made to the Ghana Armed Forces had already been fulfilled or were already in motion.
“In furtherance of our commitment to improving your welfare, my administration, in fulfillment of a manifesto pledge, has increased the peacekeeping allowance, effective January 2017, from $31 to $35,” he said.