Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for Assin South and Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, has strongly criticized President John Dramani Mahama’s recent overhaul of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) leadership, calling the decision “backward, costly, and far-fetched.”
The sweeping changes, announced on Monday, March 17, 2025, led to the dismissal of the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, and the Chief of Air Staff. Additionally, 12 senior officers holding the ranks of Major-General and above including 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star Generals were also removed.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Ntim Fordjour warned that the mass removal of top military officers could have severe consequences on both the operational efficiency and morale of the armed forces.
He argued that Ghana’s defense strategy should be built on stability and experience rather than abrupt leadership changes that disrupt the military chain of command.
The Assin South legislator also highlighted the financial strain this move would place on the state, as many of the dismissed officers still had several years before reaching the mandatory retirement age. Their premature exit would require the government to pay gratuities amounting to millions of cedis.
Furthermore, he raised concerns that replacing experienced high-ranking generals with lower-ranked Brigadier Generals (1-star Generals) would weaken the military’s leadership structure.
“Just when Ghana expanded its military might, upgrading key corps such as armour, artillery, signals, and the 48 Engineers to Brigade status, thereby attaining 4-star General status for the Chief of Defence Staff, Mahama has reset the top hierarchy back to 1-star General. This reset is indeed backward, costly, and far-fetched,” Ntim Fordjour stated in his post.
His remarks have ignited discussions about the implications of the restructuring, with political and security analysts weighing in on the potential risks associated with such a large-scale overhaul of the military’s leadership.
