News

COAS Launches Quick Impact Project to Address Housing Deficit

• 22 Oct
• Admin

The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Major General (Maj Gen) Bismarck Kwasi Onwona, on Tuesday 22 October 2024, cut sod for the construction of young soldiers’ accommodation at Medo Lines in Burma Camp, as part of his Quick Impact Project to provide accommodation for young soldiers in the Southern, Central, and Northern Commands of the Ghana Army. The project, funded by the Army Headquarters and supported by donors, benefactors, and friends of the Ghana Army, seeks to address the dire accommodation situation faced by officers and soldiers, particularly young soldiers.  Maj Gen Onwona stated that for many years the Ghana Armed Forces has grappled with insufficient living accommodation space in the various barracks. This according to the COAS, has been caused largely by the inability to systematically add to the existing housing stock until recently. He said the problem has been worsened by the expansion drive of the Ghana Armed Forces and the need to have more people enlisted and recruited but without a commensurate increase in the accommodation stock. Maj Gen Onwona revealed that young soldiers, some of whom are not even a year in the service, stay in private accommodation outside the barracks, affecting morale as it limits their planned progression in the service and their output at work. He, however, admitted that governments both past and present had made considerable efforts at addressing the housing deficit. The COAS highlighted that the Quick Impact Project would see the construction of ten 144-bed capacity three-story blocks across all the Commands. He explained that the buildings have been designed such that as the young soldiers progress up the ladder of their career, they can mature into two-bedroom units within the same blocks. He assured that he would not relent in his effort at finding solutions to help enhance the capacity and capabilities of the Army towards national development. The COAS expressed gratitude to supporting companies, including Unique Development Limited, Imperial Homes Limited, Polychanda, Kabaka Construction Company Ltd, and Domod Roof, and called on other companies to support the Ghana Army.