The Minister for Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, and the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Lu Kun, have officially commenced the construction of nine building projects across four locations for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
The Chinese government is sponsoring these projects as part of its military aid to Ghana, aimed at improving the infrastructure of the Ghana Armed Forces, according to a press statement signed by Naval Captain Micheal Addo Larbi.
The construction projects, undertaken by the China Railway No.5 Engineering Group Company Limited (CR5), will be situated at the Army Recruit Training School in Shai Hills, the Naval Training Command in Nutekpor-Sogakope, the Air Force Training School in Takoradi, and the Battle Training Camp in Bundase, near Tema.
Once completed, these projects will provide critical assets to enhance training, improve accommodation conditions, and meet the operational needs of GAF personnel, as stated in the press release.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Dominic Nitiwul expressed his appreciation for the China Military Aid Gratis Project, emphasizing that it comes at a crucial time to help GAF address its infrastructure needs.
He commended the Chinese Ambassador, Mr Lu Kun, the Chinese Military, and all stakeholders involved for their efforts in ensuring the commencement of work on these projects.
In his address, the Chinese Ambassador expressed gratitude to both Ghanaians and Chinese officials who facilitated the implementation of these projects.
He congratulated the Army Peace Operations Training School (APOTS) for being the first training school in West Africa to receive United Nations (UN) Certification for training personnel in Peace Support Operations.
Mr Lu Kun highlighted that Ghana is the second country in Sub-Saharan Africa with continuously consolidated diplomatic relations with China. He mentioned that through various means such as port calls, joint exercises, and training, China has provided strong support to African countries in strengthening national defence.
He also noted that China has launched an assistance program to help train African military personnel in areas such as Law and Order, UN Peacekeeping missions, Anti-Piracy, and Counterterrorism.
Furthermore, the Ambassador commended Ghana for being among the top ten Troop Contributing Countries to UN Missions and for expanding its military to defend the country against internal and external threats.
