Chairman of the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament, James Agalga, has raised concerns over the recent decision by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to promote certain military officers to the rank of General before leaving office.
Mr. Agalga pointed out that this move may not align with international standards typically associated with military promotions of this nature.
In remarks made in Parliament on Monday, March 24, he questioned the promotion of the Service Chiefs to the rank of three-star generals and the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) to a four-star general, noting that it might be premature, especially considering Ghana’s military personnel strength of around 30,000—well below the 50,000 threshold generally seen as necessary for such promotions.
“Having failed abysmally in expanding the Ghana Armed Forces, Mr. Speaker, the President stood before this House in his departing State of the Nation address and announced that he had appointed the Service Chiefs to the rank of three-star generals and the CDS to the rank of a four-star general, when the size of our force hovers around 30,000. We haven’t met the threshold of 50,000 to warrant such a promotion,” he said.