Military-civilian relations good - Lt Col Kotia

Ho, April 10, GNA - Lieutenant-Colonel Emmanuel Kotia, Commanding Officer of the 66 Artillery Regiment, on Monday said Military-Civil relations in the Volta Region had improved greatly.

He said this had come about with the education of all ranks in the regiment to respect the rights of civilians.

Lieutenant-Colonel Kotia said this at a press briefing to officially launch the Regiment's 40th Anniversary celebrations from April 13 to 23, this year.

He noted that the good relationship between the military and the civil society manifested in the Unit's assistance to the Ho Municipal Assembly in the construction of a school building at Akrofu. Lt. Col. Kotia said the Unit, which was being "more societal oriented", had also on several occasions donated blood to the Volta Regional Hospital.

He observed that military facilities such as schools, playing fields were open to civilians, strengthening the ties between them. Lt. Col. Kotia called on civil society to see the military as partners in development and not as agents of destruction. "We do not work with guns only, but also with our mouths and senses and therefore need people around us to sharpen our negotiation skills", he said.

As part of the celebrations soldiers from the Unit would donate blood at the Volta Regional Hospital in Ho, partake in community projects, undertake a cleanup exercise and engage in fun games with their civilian counterparts.