A host of pilots with the Ghana Air Force are abandoning the force and leaving, a report by Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee has revealed.
According to the committee’s report on the budget estimates for the Defence Ministry, the main reason for the high attrition rate is due to the lack of aircraft for these pilots to use, rendering them redundant.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Vice Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee, Ophelia Mensah Hayford recommended the urgent purchase of new aircraft for the Air Force to prevent further attrition.
“Mr. Speaker, when your committee met in considering the budget estimate for the defence ministry, some observations and recommendations were made. Mr. Speaker, one key observation that was made and I wish to bring it to the floor of the house is the importance or the need to acquire more aircraft for the ministry.
“It is important to observe that the air combat capability is necessary to strengthen surveillance of the airspace of the country, especially in the wake of terrorism in the West African sub-region. Mr. Speaker, the Ghana Air Force needs to acquire additional logistics such as executive aircraft, fighter jets, helicopters needed for rescue and defence purposes.
“It is a matter of concern that the Ghana Armed Forces has recently suffered attrition of trained pilots. It is important therefore that the Ghana Air Force take immediate steps to augment its fleet of aircraft to halt this phenomenon,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ranking Member on the Committee James Agalga says the Defence Ministry must end the practice of renting accommodation for soldiers in civilian areas.
According to him, the practice breeds indiscipline among soldiers and diminishes the fear civilians are expected to have for military men.
“The Ministry of Defence has done well, they have been able to establish new units in the armed forces. So if you look at the report, mention is made of the establishment of the 10, 11 and 12 mechanised battalions in Wa, Bolgatanga and Sandema.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, there is no corresponding provision for adequate accommodation units to house the personnel who are being recruited to work in the newly established units. So when you have that situation, the lack of accommodation for the elements who have been recruited by the armed forces you create problems of indiscipline because then the armed forces is constrained to rent accommodation in civilian spaces for soldiers.
“And when the soldiers mingle so freely with the civilian populace, Mr. Speaker, it is dangerous. You even undermine military discipline in the process. Soldiers are supposed to be feared …they must only mingle with the civilian populace in times of trouble, real danger but here is the case they’re constrained to rent civilian accommodation,” he said.
He called on government to increase military spending in the wake of violent extremism in Ghana’s northern regions and across the border.
Parliament, meanwhile, has approved a sum of 3.8 billion cedis for the Ministry of Defence.
