True to prediction, the persecution of Akan officers, especially Asantes, in the Ghana Army, has started in earnest. All the Army Commanding officers with Asante background have been earmarked for persecution and prosecution by the NDC Administration.
The military officers in immediate danger of persecution and prosecution, as per Sammy Gyamfi’s declaration before the 2024 elections are;
- Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Twumasi (GH/3535)- Commanding Officer 41 Defence Signal Regiment, Burma Camp
- Lieutenant Colonel Kwame Owusu Afriyie (3547)- Commanding Officer 5 Infantry Battalion, Arakan Barracks, Burma Camp
- Lieutenant Colonel Edmund Nana Nyarko Osae (GH/3537)-Commanding Officer 2 Infantry Battalion; Apremdo Takoradi
- Lieutenant Colonel Sarfo Kantanka Dapaah (3607)- Commanding Officer 4 Infantry Battlion, Kumasi
- Colonel Willam Ohemeng (GH/3061)-Army Secretary, Army Headquarters.
- Colonel Peter Abban (GH/3167) now at Army Headquarters, yet to be posted.
The crime of Colonel Peter Abban is that he was attached to Jubilee House as the Head of Security of the former Vice President, His Excellency Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
The new Military High Command headed by Major General Willam Agyapong (2431) and ably supported by Major General Lawrence Kwaku Gbetanu (2504) are under severe pressure from hawks within the current administration to persecute and prosecute these officers for their alleged association with the NPP Administration.
Instead of seeing these officers as loyal and obedient servants of the state, the hawks in the Ghana Armed Forces rather see them as the enemies of the NDC and by extension the state.
As immediate signs of the persecution of these officers and punishments for their alleged support for the NPP Administration, two of them have been dropped from their command appointments by messages from Army Headquarters.
In a message dated 7th April 2025 from Army Headquarters to the Chief of Staff at the General Headquarters with information to other Departments of the General Headquarters, ECOWAS MISSION IN THE GAMBIA (ECOMIG), Ghana Companies 8 and 9 and the 37 Military Hospital, Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Twumasi (GH/3535) has been deleted from the operations and in his place Lieutenant Colonel Ronne Yaw Agbemafle (GH/3301) has been appointed as the Commander for the ECOMIG Ghanacoy 9.
In an earlier message dated 4th April 2025 from Army Headquarters to the General Headquarters (International Peace Support Operations) with information to the Chief of Staff, General Headquarters, other Departments of the General Headquarters, 37 Military Hospital, United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), Lieutenant Colonel Edmund Nana Nyarko Osae (GH/3537) has been deleted from his command appointment as UNISFA Ghanbatt 4 Commanding Officer. In his place was appointed Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Nbaamundoh Nanjo (GH/3372) as the Commanding Officer of UNISFA Ghanbatt 4.
The sad and intriguing aspects of these changes are the fact and reality that these Asante officers had completed pre-operational training with their troops while their successors have not and yet the latter are found to be more suitable than the former.
Could anybody convince right-thinking Ghanaians that it is not a case of Ewes and Northerners are more important than Asantes in the Administration of John Mahama?
Is it not the same phenomenon in the Ministerial and Executive appointments of John Mahama? Is it not the case of Animal Farm? Is that President for all?
The case of the other four Asante military officers is pending. Sooner than later when the Vice President resumes her duties and chairs the Armed Forces Council, their fate and that of several Akan Officers and those of other tribes suspected to have been linked to the NPP Administration would be known.
Is it not a case of hypocrisy on the part of the two Ewe persecutors of the Asante officers?
Then Brigadier General William Agyapong (with Ewe mother) and LK Gbetanu (Ewe parents) were on military assignments outside Ghana before the elections. Brigadier General William Agyapong, after his assignment as Commander of Operations Vanguard (Anti-Galamsey Operations), was appointed as Military Adviser to United Nations Headquarters in New York on 1st September 2023 but left his mission area in November 2024 and stayed in Ghana.
Was the action of then Brigadier General William Agyapong not disloyal to the state and the NPP Administration, if we were to go by the same criteria? Why does he and the Chief of Army Staff want to victimize these poor officers who were only acting professionally and loyally?
Similarly, then Brigadier General LK Gbetanu was seconded to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) on 17th December 2023.
History is indeed repeating itself. What happened in 2009 to 2017 is repeating itself. We are likely to witness several similarities in the publications of the Military Secretary (MS) in May 2009 (especially May 5 and 12 May) in April and May 2025.
If President Mahama were to sincere and were to avoid vindictiveness and victimization, he would appreciate and realize that the hawks in his Administration are pushing him too far to destroy the esprit de corps of the security services.
How come that former President Nana Addo tolerated, maintained and promoted military and police officers who worked closely with President Mahama between 2009 and 2017 but he has decided to show his true colours as the “Lion of the Savanna”.
The three military officers who worked closely with President Mahama were promoted Brigadier Generals and two of them are currently heading security institutions with one heading an important national institution.
The current National Security Coordinator who was the Aide de Camp (ADC) of President Mahama in his earlier regimes was maintained, tolerated and promoted to his current rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police by the NPP Administration after 2024 elections.
Why can’t President Mahama do same for persons and security officers who served the former NPP Administration but has rather chosen to persecute and prosecute them?
Generals Agyapong and Gbetanu should learn from history and know that no condition will forever remain permanent.
