A former Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, has stated that inadequate accommodation facilities remain the biggest problem of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
According to him, due to this challenge, most soldiers no longer live in the barracks, particularly personnel working in Accra.
Mr Nitiwul, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, disclosed this on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, stating that many soldiers now rent private accommodations within communities.
However, he bemoaned that this situation does not augur well for the personnel, as they often adopt behaviors from the communities in which they live.
“Soldiers should be in the barracks and not in a rented apartment or even in your house outside the barracks. But now, accommodation is one of the biggest challenges.
“We started some construction, but the pace was slow because we do not have adequate resources. So when you want to mobilize soldiers or instill a particular style of discipline, it may be difficult,” he stated.
He revealed that the ideal accommodation for a young soldier should be a two-bedroom apartment.
Speaking further, Mr Nitiwul noted that the Akufo-Addo-led government did not relent in efforts to resolve the problem, as many buildings were started and others commissioned.