The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Major General Lawrence Kwaku Gbetanu, accompanied by principal staff officers from the Army Headquarters, made his maiden operational visit to the 5 Infantry Battalion (5 BN) at Arakan Barracks on Thursday, 5 June 2025.
During the visit, the Commanding Officer of 5 BN, Lieutenant Colonel Prosper Adablah, provided a detailed briefing aimed at updating the COAS and his team on the operational, administrative, and logistical readiness of the battalion. The briefing also included recommendations to enhance the battalion’s effectiveness.
At an all-ranks durbar with 5 BN personnel, the COAS acknowledged the strategic importance of the battalion due to its location in the nation’s capital. He highlighted their critical role in internal security and operational responsibility over the seat of government as well as the entire Greater Accra and Central Regions.
He stressed the unique position of the battalion and the need for constant vigilance and readiness to respond swiftly to any security threats in defense of the nation.
Major General Gbetanu shared his vision, ‘to maintain a motivated army grounded on core military values, enabled by adaptive technologies and platforms capable of projecting decisive land power as part of the Ghana Armed Forces’. He affirmed that high command would continue to rely on 5 BN to perform their roles to the best of their abilities.
As part of his vision, the COAS announced plans to introduce existing interventions and activities aimed at enhancing unit cohesion and esprit de corps. He also reminded personnel that their primary duty is loyalty to the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the state, urging them to avoid any form of indiscipline or illegal activities.
The COAS acknowledged the challenges faced by the battalion in logistics, administration, and operations. He assured that the military hierarchy, in collaboration with the government, is actively working to address these issues.
In his remarks, Lieutenant Colonel Adablah expressed pride in welcoming the COAS back to familiar grounds where his leadership and dedication had left an indelible mark. He emphasized that his vision, mission, and core values are firmly aligned with the COAS’s strategic vision for the Ghana Army. His goal is to build and lead a united, motivated, disciplined, and mission-driven infantry battalion, with operational excellence as the primary focus.
He further outlined the battalion’s commitment to training and sustaining a professional force capable of rapid deployment and response to security threats within the Greater Accra and Central Regions. This aligns with the high command’s end state, emphasizing core values such as discipline, loyalty, integrity, courage, adaptability, professionalism, and teamwork.
Despite the challenges faced, Lieutenant Colonel Adablah assured that the battalion would continue to fulfill its roles effectively and efficiently. He pledged unwavering support and loyalty to the COAS and promised full cooperation and commitment from all ranks.
The visit concluded with the COAS and his entourage inspecting ongoing projects at the battalion.
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