The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, has revealed that the government is taking several measures aimed at addressing the accommodation challenges of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
He mentioned one of the measures taken as the launching of the Barracks Regeneration project and said when completed, would improve the accommodation situation of military personnel and tackle most of the much needed infrastructural challenges faced by the GAF.
The new CDS stated this when he commissioned a newly-constructed Transit Quarters for the Ghana Navy last Friday.
The 72-bed quarters is situated at the Ghana Navy Store Depot (GNSD) in Takoradi.
The facility, which is named after the current CDS, would temporarily cater for the accommodation needs of Senior and Junior Ratings who find it difficult to get accommodation when posted to the command, and also serve the accommodation needs of outstation ratings while on temporary duties in the area.
Vice Admiral Amoama bemoaned the fact that most military barracks had not seen serious infrastructural development since their construction in the 1970s and the 1980s.
He added that the increasing disparity between the number of personnel and accommodation available is a major challenge which successive governments have tried their best to resolve.
He also disclosed that several new accommodation projects have started across the garrisons for personnel, saying “the Ghana Navy has had a fair share of the accommodation projects including the 368 capacity Biekro Barracks in the Eastern Naval Command which has greatly improved accommodation for personnel within the Ghana Navy.”
He also mentioned the commissioning of the instructors and students accommodation at the Naval Training School, the continuation of the four-storey two-bedroom accommodation projects for officers at Kweikuma, near Sekondi, as well as the construction of the single-storey chamber and hall self-contained apartment at the Sekondi barracks.
He urged the personnel who would be privileged to use the place to take good care of the building and its facilities, to ensure that it is preserved for posterity.
The Flag Officer Commanding the Western Naval Command, Commodore Samuel Walker said the commissioning of the transit quarters is a great relief to the Command.
He said it would help bring to an end the struggle personnel posted to the Command go through to get temporary accommodation.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi