Ghana’s Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has made history by becoming the first female Chairperson of the Ghana Armed Forces Council, the presidency announced.
President John Dramani Mahama inaugurated the Council at the Ministry of Defence in Accra on Monday.
The council, mandated by the 1992 Constitution, advises the president on defence and strategy matters, encompassing the role of the armed forces, military budgeting and finance, administration, and the promotion of officers above the rank of lieutenant colonel or its equivalent.
Alongside the Vice President, council members include Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Defence Minister, and Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Foreign Minister.
Others are Alhaji Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, Minister for the Interior; Mr Daniel Addo; Mr Fuseini Iddrisu; and Madam Nancy Dankwa Ampofo.
"I think this is very important,” said Vice President Opoku-Agyemang in her acceptance speech. “As a council, we accept to serve diligently, loyally, with patriotic zeal to reset the Ghana and reset the Ghana Armed Forces to ensure that we have peace, we have stability for our beloved nation."
President John Dramani Mahama, in his address to the council members, stressed his government’s commitment to modernising the armed forces to address evolving security threats.
“The responsibility placed on your shoulders as a Council is one of great national importance,” President Mahama stated. “The strength of our Armed Forces depends not only on the bravery of the men and women in uniform but also on the leadership policies and decisions that guide them.”
The military said all passengers on board have been accounted for and there were no fatalities.
The vice president acknowledged the nation's security challenges, stating, "We are aware that the country was facing some challenges in terms of security, its borders, even internal challenges, and therefore they need to pay attention to all these."
Opoku-Agyemang assured President Mahama that the Council would carry the mandate imposed on them and that they would continue to dialogue with the President whenever necessary.
