Air Vice Marshall Nagai (left) and Maj Gen Yaachie (rtd) cutting the tape to commission the new office
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Maxwell Mansteibi-Tei Nagai, has commended the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Major General Obed Akwa for his avowed efforts to ensure that members of the Veterans Association of Ghana (VAG) had befitting offices.
The Chief of Air Staff mentioned for instance that, the CDS played a key role and even contributed financially towards the construction of a new ultra-modern office for Ghana Air Force VAG members in the Takoradi District.
“The CDS visited the project site when it was under construction and contributed an amount of GH?5,000 personally towards the completion of the office”.
“In consultation with the executives of VAG, I utilized the amount with a little top-up to purchase 100 pieces of chairs to furnish the facility since the contractor had been paid”, he noted.
The Chief of Air Staff, a former Base Commander at the Air Force Base in Takoradi revealed this during the commissioning of the newly-constructed VAG office for members of the Sekondi-Takoradi District last Thursday.
He lamented that his attempts to give the old office, which looked like a ramshackle, a facelift when he was the Commander of the Air Force Base did not succeed.
“The request for the rehabilitation of the old VAG office was brought before me when I was the Base Commander about four years ago, but I was limited by the authority I had then”, he added.
He recounted how, as a junior officer, he was helped by some senior officers who are now veterans and indicated that he was not happy seeing the retired officers operating in the dilapidated office.
“So I was asking myself if those vibrant officers are working in this old and dilapidated office then what will become of me if I also join the veterans?
He indicated that the facility still needed computers, printers, Internet service, more chairs and fridge to help the office operate effectively and appealed to other organizations for help.
The Guest of Honour, Major General CB Yaache (rtd) commended members of the VAG nationwide for their selfless and dedicated service to the country adding “any country that honours its heroes is worth dying for.”
He described the office a symbolic gesture in recognition of the contributions and sacrifices the old soldiers made to their country.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi