In a gesture of appreciation for the services and sacrifices of Ghana’s military personnel, Defence Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah has donated a substantial quantity of food items to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
The donation, which includes 5,000 five-kilogram bags of rice, 6,255 bottles of cooking oil, 4,800 tins of mackerel, and 4,800 tins of tomatoes, aims to boost the morale of the country’s troops.
Dr. Omane Boamah expressed his gratitude to entrepreneur and philanthropist Ibrahim Mahama of Dzata Cement fame for supporting the initiative.
This donation comes at a critical time, as the Ghana Armed Forces have been facing a food crisis due to outstanding debts owed to suppliers.
In a related development, Parliament has approved a budget of over GHC6 billion for the Ministry of Defence.
Dr. Omane Boamah, accompanied by his Deputy, Brogya Genfi aka Armani, the Chief Director, and Service Chiefs, was present in Parliament to move the motion for approval.
This approval is a significant step towards settling the 17-month-old debt of GHC 275 million owed to food suppliers.
The previous Akufo-Addo administration had accumulated this debt from August 2023 to December 2024, placing a significant burden on food suppliers and affecting the feeding of military personnel.
Dr. Omane Boamah emphasized that the current administration is committed to resolving this issue and ensuring that the Ghana Armed Forces receive the necessary support.
In addition to addressing the immediate food crisis, the Defence Ministry is exploring long-term solutions to reduce the country’s reliance on food imports and decrease the food bill.
One such initiative is the introduction of mechanized farming to feed the military and contribute to reducing inflation.
Former Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, has defended the Akufo-Addo-led government’s record on the Ghana Armed Forces, stating that the military remained a top priority despite financial constraints.
However, he acknowledged that food supply debts for the military were a recurring issue, not unique to the Akufo-Addo administration.
