The Director-General, Defence Industries Department of Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier General Robert Yaw Affram has said the army is battle-ready to defend and protect the country from terrorist attacks and security threats.
According to Brigadier General Affram, the army has deployed adequate personnel to vantage parts of the country where it suspects any act of terrorism that may occur would take place there to secure those areas.
His assurance follows terrorist attacks in neighbouring Burkina Faso as well as pockets of security threats within other ECOWAS member states.
According to Brigadier General Affram, although there are incidences of security threats within the West African sub-region, the anti-terrorism unit of the army is prepared to confront unforeseen challenges to foster security toward national development.
Speaking to Class News’ Jerry Akornor on the sidelines of the launch of the 2019 Army Week Celebration in Accra on Friday, 13 September 2019, the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee said the army is ready to defend the country.
Talking about the theme for the week-long celebration, Brigadier General Affram said: “Some of the topics we want to interrogate is the scourge of terrorism and its threat and we know right now Burkina Faso is suffering and we don’t want it to come here, so, that is why we chose ‘security for national development’ because if we are not secured, then our national development goal will go waste so that’s why we chose that theme.”
With the army’s preparedness to combat terror attacks, he said: “We are very well prepared, our troops are prepared, we have very capable special forces, we have anti-terrorism troops and we collaborate with the police.”
“We are currently deployed in some parts of the country that we suspect if there’s going to be any breach point, it will occur there, so, we are very well prepared and we are on top.”
Talking about the morale of the Armed Forces, he noted: “We are ready to defended this country even at the peril of our lives and, so, I can confidently tell you that the soldiers’ morale is very high.”