The persecution and intended prosecution of targeted military officers by the current NDC Administration have moved into top gear with the publication of a Convening Order dated 7th April 2005 appointing Brigadier General Jackson Wonje (GH/2549) as the sole investigator to conduct a summary investigation into allegations of enlistment irregularities of the Ghana Armed Forces relating to Regular Career Course 64 and 2924/2025 suspended enlistment process.
Brigadier General Jackson Wonje is the Provost Marshal of the Ghana Armed Forces at the General Headquarters. He was appointed the Provost Marshal and became the head of the Military Police (MP) on 19th August 2024 after the former Provost Marshal, Brigadier General Zibrim Bawah Ayorrongo had been appointed Commissioner of Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority in April 2024.
The Convening Order of 7th April 2025 was on the orders of and signed by the Chief of Staff at the General Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal Joshua Mensah-Larkai (GH/2609). Incidentally, AVM JL Mensah-Larkao and Brigadier General J Wonje are Intake Mates of Regular Career Course 32 of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Brigadier General Wonje was ordered by the Chief of Staff to commence investigations with immediate effect upon receipt of the Convening Order.
Once again, history is repeating itself. The events of the first half of 2009 when the current President, was the Vice President and de facto President owing to the health challenges of the then President John Mills, are being replayed.
In 2009, we had a “Father-for-all”, humble, humane and God-fearing President with a hawkish heir apparent John Mahama as the Vice. In spite of the positive character traits of John Mills, the Vice President managed to carry out the desires and wishes of the hawks in the NDC, sometimes at the blind side of the “Asomdweehene”.
In February 2009, a similar Board of Inquiry was instituted to investigate alleged irregularities in the recruitment of over two thousand potential recruits of the Ghana Armed Forces, four hundred and twenty (420) of whom were to report for training at Army Recruit Training School (ARTS) at Shai Hills on Saturday 31st January 2009 as the First Batch of Army Course 2009. On 30th January 2009, then Air Commodore CEK Dovlo (GH/592), Director General Personnel Administration at the General Headquarters, issued a message initially suspending but eventually cancelling the training of these poor innocent Ghanaian citizens with similar allegations, albeit unfounded, of irregularities in the recruitment process.
In February 2009, the then Chief of Staff, Brigadier General R Winful (GH/1441), signed the Convening Order. Unfortunately, Brigadier General R Winful did not serve as he was seen as an appointee of President Kufuor and was replaced with then Commodore GM Biekro (GH/1668) on 31st March 2009 as the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The major differences between the investigations of 2009 and 2025 are; firstly, the former (2009) was a Board of Inquiry with a President and Members whereas (2025) is a sole Investigator for preliminary summary of evidence;
Secondly, the former (2009) was the recruitment of junior ranks while the latter (2025) was on the enlistment of already under-training Cadets of Regular Career Course 64 and truncated process of potential Regular and Short Service Cadets of 2024/2025.
The terms of Reference of the two investigations (2009 and 2025) appear to be similar in intent and objectives. Both investigations had or had some military officers as their targets.
In 2009, the main target was one military officer but the 2025 investigations have several officers as their targets. Moreover, the Convening Order signed by AVM JL Mensah-Larkai is only the beginning of more trumped-up allegations against Akan military officers who have been targeted for Court Martial and eventual release from the Ghana Armed Forces.
The introduction of the Convening Order of 7th April 2025 signed by the Chief of Staff AVM Mensah-Larkai reads as follows:
“GENERAL
- It has been alleged that there were enlistment irregularities relating to Regular Career Course (RCC) 64 and 2024/2025 suspended enlistment. Given the implications of the allegations on the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), it has become necessary to investigate the circumstances leading to the alleged irregularities.
- Brigadier General JA Wonje (GH/2549) is hereby appointed as the investigator to conduct a Summary Investigation into the allegations. The investigator is to commence investigations immediately upon receipt of this Convening Order…………..”
It may be pertinent at this stage to know the persons (officers and or Junior Ranks) who made or are making these allegations and the substances of their allegations. Our investigations have revealed that a few military hawks in the NDC Administration deliberately concocted these allegations in order to punish some targeted military officers, especially Akans perceived to be sympathizers of the former NPP Administration and to discredit the former political heads and members of the Military High Command of the Military of Defence of the former NPP Administration.
Plans are far advanced in the NDC corridors of power to take harsh disciplinary action against the officers who are the targets of these investigations.
In 2009, Ewe and Ga officers were used to rid the system of “unwanted” Akan officers. This was when Commodore GM Biekro was the Chief of Staff and Major General Joseph Narh Adinkrah (GH/1446) was the Chief of Army Staff.
In 2025, history has repeated itself and again Ewe and Ga officers are being used to persecute and prosecute Akan officers on concocted political but not military profession charges and allegations. Thus, AVM JL Mensah-Larkai (a Ga) and Major General LK Gbetanu (an Ewe) have been instructed to ensure that all “undesirable” Akan officers and officers of other tribes especially Northerners perceived to be sympathizers of the former NPP Administration are released.
In 2009, Group Captain Dwamena-Mante(GH/1665), Brigadier Generals E Okyere (GH/1430), R Debrah (GH/1440), R Winful (GH/1441), JK Nkrumah (GH/1432), CK Ocrn (GH/1516), H Nana-Acheampong (GH/1520), Colonels JK Kumah (GH/1578), DA Boakye (GH/1578), S Agyekum-Yamoah (GH/1844), EN Opoku (GH/1935) and MD Boampong (GH/1860), just to mention a few were released as part of the grand agenda to purge the Ghana Armed Forces of senior officers who were considered to be politically incorrect by NDC standards.
All these releases and other ones that followed in 2010, 2011 and 2012 were carefully planned and executed with either the express or tact approval of the President.
It is not surprising that as Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces (with an obsession for wearing very expensive military ceremonial full regalia), President Mahama is currently superintending over these diabolic plans, announced by Sammy Gyanfi and phased for execution by Major Generals W Agyapong, LK Gbetanu and AVM JL Mensah-Larkai.
The appointments of then Brigadier Generals and their equivalents as members of the Military High Command of the Ghana Armed Forces (i.e. Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff and Chief of Staff) and the consequential releases of all two-star Generals (Major Generals and equivalent) and former senior Brigadier Generals in relation to the members of the current Military High Command constituted the phase One of the NDC plan.
Phase two has also begun and the Convening Order of 7th April is part of the phase two. The removal of Akan Lieutenant Colonels from their appointments as Commanding Officers is part of phase two.
The full extent of phase two of the NDC Grand Agenda for the Ghana Armed Forces will be known when Her Excellency the Vice President resumes her duty and chairs meetings of the Armed Forces Council to consider, among other things, appointments and promotions.
Unfortunately, the current composition of the Armed Forces Council does not give any hope to those targeted Akan officers.
The Vice President sadly cannot change anything on the agenda of the Armed Forces Council sponsored by the hawks and the President himself.
We wish to examine the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the 7th April 2025 Convening Order of AVM JL Mensah-Larkai.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
- The investigator is to investigate and ascertain the following;
- The detailed nature of the alleged enlistment irregularities relating to RCC 64 and 2024/2025 suspended enlistment process and in particular to procure and ascertain the following:
(1) The stages of GAF enlistment process for entry into Ghana Military Academy (GMA)
(2) The full list of potential cadets still in the 2024/2025 enlistment process who applied on-line
(3) If any potential cadets in the 2024/2025 enlistment process did not apply on-line and the circumstances under which these potential cadets ended up on the list of applicants
(4) Whether all potential cadets shortlisted for 2024/2025 enlistment have so far successfully gone through all the relevant stages of the enlistment up to when the process was suspended.
(5) Full list of potential cadets who have not successfully gone through every stage of the 2024/2025 enlistment and are still on the list
(6) The full list of Cadets of RCC 64 (currently undergoing training at GMA) who applied online foe enlistment
(7) If there are any Cadets of RCC 64 who did not apply online to be enlisted and the circumstances under which these cadets entered into GMA
(8) If there are any of them who did not successfully go through any or all of the stages of the enlistment process and the circumstances under which they were admitted into GMA
- Whether or not there were any act or neglect on the part of anyone leading to the enlistment irregularities relating to RCC 64 and 2024/2025 suspended enlistment process
- Any other issue(s) that the investigator may deem relevant to this investigation……..”
We may wish to state at this juncture that the terms of reference are a collation of already pre-conceived leading questions based on the end state objectives of the “conveners”.
We may not wish to sound prejudicial and will therefore wait patiently for the investigator to receive and record all relevant evidence, record findings, express opinions and make recommendations as directed by the Convening Authority.
Luckily, the investigator does not have the luxury of time and has been directed to submit five (5) copies of the proceedings to reach the Convening Authority by Wednesday 23rd April 2025.
We have our doubts and concerns about the ability of a one-man investigator to do a very thorough, unbiased professional investigation of RCC 64 and the 2024/2025 enlistment process within 16 days. We are, however, glad to give the benefit of the doubt for his acumen, abilities, competencies and skills as the Head of the Ghana Military Police and the Office of the Provost Marshal which have units and sub-units for investigations.
We may wish to raise issues about the capacity of the Investigator to have 2 (two) his directed witnesses with the rank of Major General which is superior to his as a Brigadier General. We know that the Military Police may have the power to arrest persons of higher ranks relative to those of the arresting Military Police Officers. With all due respect Sir, AVM JL Mensah-Larkai, Convening Order for investigations does not amount to or is not analogous to arrest for which the Provost Marshal could be clothed with those powers.
Military discipline and the accepted norms of the Armed Forces Regulations, Administration and Discipline, anchored by natural justice require that the investigator should be either the same or higher rank than the witnesses. We are afraid that we have to point out to you that it is wrong and improper for a Brigadier General who is junior in service and ranks to two Major Generals to summon them as witnesses to an investigation.
For the records, the two (2) Major Generals are:
- Major General JA Aphour (GH/2278) of RCC Intake 27 and
- Major General C Agyemang-Prempeh (GH/2432) of RCC Intake 30
Major General JA Aphour was commissioned into the Ghana Armed Forces on 14th August 1987 and promoted to Major General on 31st July 2023. Major General C Agyemang-Pempeh was commissioned into the Ghana Armed Forces on 17th August 1990 and promoted to Major General on 24th December 2024 and appointed Commandant Ghana Military Academy.
Brigadier General J Wonje (GH/2549) was commissioned on 14th August 1992 and promoted to the rank of Brigadier General on 26th January 2023 and belongs to RCC Intake 32.
With all due respect to your high office as Chief of Staff and rank as Air Vice Marshal, we think you erred in appointing a junior General to extract evidence from senior Generals.
