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Protect Our Military

By Daily Guide
Editorial Protect Our Military
NOV 25, 2015 LISTEN

In view of the seriousness of the donning of military Olive Green uniforms by those who raided the New Patriotic Party (NPP) headquarters last Monday, we are constrained to revisit the subject.

We are unable to refer to those who joined the riff raffs to undertake the raid as regular soldiers, given the distancing of the military high command from the damning act and the weirdness of it all. The project lacked tact and skills and could not be associated with those with training in tactics and field craft.

We doubt very much that the military high command would descend so low as to release soldiers for a joint operation with hoodlums. We stand to be corrected.

The fact stands though that some persons have access to military and police uniforms who should not; and use same for criminal and undemocratic missions as was unfolded last Monday.

Much as we welcome the disclaimer, we demand that the Ghana Armed Forces join others in asking for an enquiry into the circumstances which led to the acquisition of military uniforms for the dastardly act lest it is repeated tomorrow perhaps with armoured cars from the Recce Squadron.

The rather asinine manner in which the criminality was committed with its far-reaching implications should not in any way be associated with the Armed Forces.

Bad politicians have in various ways dragged the two institutions into the realm of politics much to the worry of both serving and retired personnel, given the knowledge by the latter of the fallouts of such aberrations.

History is replete with countries which did not pull the brakes on such nonsense and the repercussions they suffered as a result.

The pedigree of our military in particular would suffer a minus if we allow politicians to drag its reputation in the mud; associating it with such unnecessary midnight and dawn attacks does not inure to its advantage in the international community.

Our military high command cannot, we can bet, authorize its personnel to undertake such a mission as witnessed on Monday because that would have spelt doom for our country.

The Ghana Armed Forces have a reputation to protect – one which has earned for the country's defence system an enviable reputation in the international comity of the military.

The exploits of our military from the days of the Gold Coast Constabulary, the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF), Gold Coast Regiment and now Ghana Armed Forces, are legendary and documented. The outstanding dispatches and medals of gallantry our officers and men have earned for themselves and country cannot be gainsaid.

Governments, transient as they are, should steer away from contaminating this institution with their greed and avarice. Soon their time would be up to leave the stage, not so the military which is part of the state.

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