GOVT TO BUILD RESIDENTIAL FACILITY FOR GHANA NAVY (BACK PAGE., OCT 31)

THE government has acquired a 300-acre land at Aboadze in the Shama District of the Western Region for the construction of a residential facility for the Ghana Navy.
This gesture is to ensure better living conditions for the officers and men to enable them to discharge their assigned roles effectively and efficiently.
The government will, within the constraints of the economy and other competing national development needs, ensure that the Navy is equipped within the requisite resources to effectively and efficiently perform its assigned roles.
The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, announced this at a ceremonial parade to mark the 50th anniversary of the Ghana Navy at the Western Naval Command yesterday.
He also used the occasion to unveil a bust in memory of the Unknown Soldier.
He noted that the Navy had been performing essential roles with the limited resources at its disposal in terms of logistics and equipment.
“Over the years, the fleet of the Ghana Navy has been grappling with many problems as a result of lack of funds, manpower and inadequate logistical support,” he said..
He said there was the need for a credible military force capable of insulating the nation against external aggression by land, sea and air, while assisting in diverse ways to enhance security.
The provision of modern equipment and maintenance of ships, he said, was another area receiving attention from the government.
“Many of us do not often see the Navy at work and, therefore, we tend not to value the usefulness and positive contributions it makes towards national aspirations and development,” he said.
That, he explained, was due to the fact that the Navy performed its duties and operations on sea, out of sight of the general public.
Mr Mahama said the government was doing everything possible to ensure that the requisite platforms were acquired for the Navy from Korea and China.
The ceremony was attended by service commanders from the Ghana Air Force, the Ghana Police, the Ghana Army, as well as members of the general public.
Eight officers of the Ghana Navy, both serving and retired, were given various awards for the dedicated roles they played in the Navy.