The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have launched an ambitious housing redevelopment programme that will replace ageing accommodation at Burma Camp and El-Wak Barracks with modern residential facilities, as government reaffirmed its commitment to improving soldiers’ welfare through its ongoing military housing agenda.
Deputy Minister for Defence, Ernest Brogya Genfi, described the initiative as the brainchild of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and a major investment in the welfare, morale and operational readiness of military personnel.
He said the project marks a departure from the long-standing practice of rehabilitating dilapidated barracks, replacing it with a vision to provide officers, soldiers and their families with safe, dignified and sustainable homes.
“The men and women who defend Ghana should not have to make do with ageing accommodation. They deserve homes that work for them. They deserve safety, dignity and comfort,” Mr BrogyaGenfi said.
According to him, quality accommodation is no longer merely a welfare issue, but a strategic national security investment because soldiers perform more effectively when their families live in decent conditions.
He said the redevelopment programme forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s Resetting Ghana Agenda and complements government’s ongoing 10,000 Housing Units Programme for the Ghana Armed Forces, which is intended to address the accommodation deficit across military garrisons.
The Deputy Minister, who inspected a special Quarter Guard mounted in his honour prior to the symbolic event at Burma Camp, noted that while government remains committed to improving military infrastructure, it recognises that the challenge cannot be addressed by the State alone.
He, therefore, commended Corporate Ghana, philanthropists, military veterans, serving personnel and other patriotic citizens whose support has helped bring the redevelopment initiative to life.
Mr Brogya Genfi also announced that government has inaugurated a committee to develop a Ghana Armed Forces Home Ownership Policy and Scheme aimed at giving every soldier a realistic opportunity to own a home after retirement. He stressed that no serviceman or woman who has spent a career defending Ghana should retire without the prospect of owning a house.
The Deputy Minister paid glowing tribute to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Lt. Gen. William Agyapong and the Military High Command for conceiving the redevelopment programme, saying their decision to pursue a comprehensive transformation instead of continually repairing deteriorating buildings demonstrates visionary leadership that will benefit future generations of military personnel.
The Deputy Minister later performed the ground-breaking ceremony, officially commencing what military authorities described as a landmark transformation of housing and welfare infrastructure for the Ghana Armed Forces.
The redevelopment programme comprises three major projects – the redevelopment of El-Wak Barracks, the Burma Camp residential enclave and the Burma Camp Post Office area. The three projects will be executed simultaneously and are expected to be completed within nine months.
At El-Wak Barracks, 18 ageing residential blocks currently housing 180 families will be replaced with 192 modern housing units comprising two-bedroom apartments and one-bedroom studio apartments.
The Burma Camp redevelopment will transform an area that previously accommodated only 36 families into a modern residential community with 248 family units, representing nearly a 600 per cent increase in accommodation capacity.
The Post Office project will redevelop the existing facility into a modern multi-purpose complex to improve services within the garrison.
Earlier, the Acting General Officer Commanding Support Services Brigade, Major General Glover Ashong Annan, said much of the residential infrastructure at Burma Camp dates back to the colonial era and no longer meets the needs of a modern professional military.
He said the redevelopment project seeks to replace obsolete accommodation with modern, durable and environmentally sustainable facilities to improve the welfare of military personnel and their families.
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