Tema-Ghana, March 10, CDA Consult – Recent engagement and disengagement between the military and a section of the civilian public calls for the renewal of discussion on deepening the professional standards in controlling the armed forces through Parliament and civil society, Ex-Military Officer has stated.
The Armed Forces of any nation are the powerhouse of authority whether under a democratically elected regime or military-controlled establishment, “it is therefore taboo for a civilian to touch an officer and even dare to kill military personnel.
“It is unmentionable within military circles for a soldier to run away from the civilian mob, we have done this which is an affront to the military just to avoid extrication but unfortunately the unprovoked attacks on soldiers continue.
“Some civilians through their actions have dared the power of the armed forces, these acts are provocations,” an Ex-Military Officer stated in an interview in Tema.
“You don’t invite the military to a tea party and when we honour the invitation you turn around through both traditional and social media to vilify us.
“The Ghana Armed Forces is the only institution currently standing, now the political establishments have lost their dignity, the reverence around the clergy years ago is diminished, and our traditional leaders have also lost their respect.
“If we allow the Ghana Armed Forces to be destroyed through democratic gymnastics, the day the criminals will turn on the law-abiding citizens there would not be any uniformed men to defend them,” the Ex-Military Officer stated.
The Ex-Military Officer noted that people should discard the old paradigm of thinking that the officers have little professional experience at the command and staff level and lacked the vital political understanding of the democratic state.
The Lieutenant-Colonel retired explained the need for public education about the operations of the Ghana Armed Forces and any other security establishment.
“We must reignite the process of training some members of the identifiable groups including members of parliament, religious and traditional leaders, the media, civil society organizations, and opinion leaders among others to understand military and security issues,” he said.
The Ex-Military Officer noted that the military enjoys an overwhelming advantage in coercive power, therefore, it is critical for the civil population also use due process in case of any entanglement with any officer instead of taking the laws into their own hands – instant justice.
“The Military High Command has in actual fact restrained its Officers and Men in recent times in spite of extreme and most often unwarranted provocation from the civilian public which has led to the death of some men in uniform,” he said.
The Lieutenant-Colonel retired also appealed to the media to stop using their platforms to denigrate the Ghana Armed Forces anytime “we are provoked to act under extreme circumstances.
“We are serving the interest of the civilian public, if we allow the criminals to morally overcome the men in uniform, they will later turn their guns on the public and there would be total anarchy in the country”.
He described the military action in Ashaiman as unfortunate but unavoidable, “let us say never again should civilian kill a military officer or any Ghanaian for that matter, let us protect each other and let the good people also report the activities of criminals in our communities to the appropriate authorities”.
