Soldiers Cash for Mills Campaign

A secret and confidential document in the possession of DAYBREAK indicates that the controversial Ghana Armed Forces Bank and Insurance Company is a Pyram Investment intended not only at further politicizing the military by creating Jobs for the Boys, but creating funds and building war chest to prosecute President JEA Mills’ electoral 2012 battle.
The loaded document states emphatically one the main reasons of deducting monies from the salaries of Officers and men to establish a bank is that: “It will also be a way of the GAF helping to achieve the Better Ghana Agenda by creating many jobs and putting money in the pocket of the people”.
The GAF has further explained that aside its core mandate of defence, it has the constitutional mandate to perform other functions including establishing a bank if the President determines that.
“The world is growing very fast and the military needs to match up and assist its personnel to create wealth. With the GAF Bank, many opportunities and avenues will be created for the benefit of serving and retired personnel and their families. It will also be a way of the GAF helping to achieve the Better Ghana Agenda by creating many jobs and putting money in the pocket of the people,” the document stated; a clear indication that there is a ploy to use revenue collected by force on the advantage of huge numbers of people serving in the populous national military and civilian institution for political and cash motives.
Prosecuting the deal is the Minister for Defence, who soldiers are targeting for reprisal actions according to our sources in the military and the Castle.
That element of pigheadedness is also encapsulated in the decision already taken by the Mills administration to recruit a Consultant to do the job. “A Consultant has already been contacted to the feasibility studies for the bank,” the circular further states in affirmation of the political decision to foster the Better Ghana Agenda in a non-political environment using the leverages of Executive fait and undue political advantage.
A location has also been proposed even before the any sensitization programme or a seeking of the people’s mandate is effected. “The headquarters of the Bank is established on the Giffard Road between Congo Junction and the Labadi Villas Junction.” Annoyingly, soldiers and civilians are having monies deducted from their salaries before they could even be consulted.
The document emanating from the Directorate of Resettlement, which is headed by an Ewe, Colonel AK Adokpa, has already been distributed to all departments in the Army, Navy, Air Force and the MOD. Copies have also been offered the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Centre, the Military Command and Training Schools, comprising the MATS and GAFCSC (Snr. Division).
The pigheadedness of the Mills administration in pursuing the agenda is manifest in the fact that there exists an intelligence report warning against the deal. In a copy of the Part One Orders in the possession of DAYBREAK, soldiers and other ranks as well as civilians were reported to be against the deal, which they claim did not have their mandate before its forced implementation. The soldiers also warned that if the military leadership tried to force the deal down their throats, not only will they rebel against it, but also initiate an uprising that would culminate in bloodshed.
According to them, too, they will use it as a campaign tool to vote out the Mills administration in the upcoming 2012 elections.
Evidence that the soldiers’ input and mandate were not sought is reflected in the Directorate of Resettlement’s circular titled THE CASE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GHANA ARMED FORCES BANK AND INSURANCE COMPANY dated September 28, 2011.
According to the circular, Cos and Service Commanders are to “Accept for dissemination and sensitization of all ranks and civilian employees.”