Dominic Nitiwul with Sun Baohong
The Chinese Government has supported the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) with an amount of 50 million Yuan Renminbi – equivalent to $7.5 million – to support its activities.
The money is among the fruits the recent visit of Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia to China has yielded.
In addition, four patrol boats promised by the Chinese government last year for the military are expected in the country this month, according to the Chinese Embassy in Ghana.
The Ambassador to Ghana, Sun Baohong, in an address, said the aid offered the military came out of the visit of Ghana’s Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia to China recently.
Dr Bawumia’s visit, the envoy indicated, was very successful and that China needed to implement the decisions reached.
As part of the implementation, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Defence and the Chinese Ministry of Defence represented by the Chinese Ambassador, as a starting point of what was discussed during the visit.
“During the visit to china the two national leaders had successful talks between themselves and the Chinese vice president pledged China’s support to deepen the cooperation in military, peace and security affairs,” Ms Sun Baohong posited.
She said over the years, China and Ghana have been enjoying long-standing traditional friendship and very fruitful cooperation, including cooperation in military, peace and security.
Ms Sun Baohong disclosed that China had intensified its efforts to support Ghana to play a leading role in international defence and also in peace and security of the region.
“China is also supplying military equipment to the Ghana Armed Forces and training about 28 military officers in China. The four patrol boats will be shipped to Ghana this month and next month we hope to commission it for the military,” she announced.
Ghana’s Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, stressed that the military aid is not a loan or international agreement from the Chinese government, but a grant.
He said the obligation for the military in receiving the money is how to use the money.
“The Chinese government has not asked for anything in return for giving out the money, but as part of the outcome of the vice president’s visit to China,” he pointed out.
Mr Nitiwil averred that the military lacks offices accommodation, equipment and logistics and that the money would be used to upgrade the training facilities for the GAF.
“Recently, I visited the Shai Hills where personnel are trained and the accommodation for trainers was so bad that I had to look for $50,000 dollars to immediately renovate it.
“We also need grant to help put up a headquarters for the Ghana army since it does not have one,” he added.
By Linda Tenyah- Ayettey& Austin Hicks