By Ebi Kesiena
Ghana’s Military personnel have pledged to protect the Constitution and the sovereignty of the people, and not to take part in activities that threaten the state’s peace and democracy.
Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, stated this recently when the leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Accra.
“Our mandate is to protect the territorial integrity of the State, and we are focused on that.
“The coups in West Africa are a major concern, but, for us, we are resolved to protecting the Constitution and the will of the people.
‘‘If the people decide that democracy is the type of governance they want, then we need to respect that. So, when you hear any news of coup, you should be assured that the Ghana Armed Forces is not interested in governance.
We believe that if the people don’t want the government, they have a maximum of four years to change it,” he said.
The GJA team, led by its President, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, embarked on the visit to discuss issues of mutual interest between the GAF and the GJA.
Amoama noted that coup d’états were matters of the past.
With the current state of the nation’s development, he said, almost every individual in the country understood that governance was not part of the mandate of the GAF.
However, he noted that Media coverage on security issues could be better when the military is often consulted before stories are published.
He further commended the GJA and the entire media fraternity for the crucial role they played in protecting the will of the people in the country.
He noted that the GAF and the GJA had enjoyed some cordial relationships over the years even though there was still room for improvement.
