GAF seeks GH?190m for Burma Camp redevelopment project

By Ernest Bako WUBONTO

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has held a fundraising luncheon to mobilise GH?190million to support the phase-one completion of Burma Camp redevelopment project at Ghana Military Academy in Teshie.

The Burma Camp Redevelopment Project phase-one, comprising 250 housing units, forms part of a broader effort to upgrade military housing infrastructure with high-rise buildings aimed at tackling the persistent accommodation deficit and maximising land usage.

Phase one is made up of a dormitory block, one-bedroom apartment block, two-bedroom apartment block and three-bedroom apartment blocks.

Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General (Lt. Gen) William Agyapong, in his address emphasised that many of the existing structures at Burma Camp date back to the colonial era and no longer meet modern standards – citing a sharp contrast of what the current deplorable conditions are against what he first saw in 52 years ago as a child growing up at the El-Wak barracks.

“Many of the structures there have become weak, outdated and unable to meet modern standards of safety, comfort and dignity.

“The vision is clear: to build a modern, well-planned, multi-level residential community designed to provide dignified accommodation, improved living standards and long-term sustainability for our personnel,” he said.

The groundbreaking exercise for this project is scheduled for July 3, 2026 and it is expected to be completed within a year.

With emerging security threats within the sub-region over the past decade necessitating a strategic increase in manpower levels of the GAF, unfortunately, that personnel growth could not be matched by commensurate accommodation requirements.

This, the CDS indicated, has led to a gap in accommodation for personnel – adding that across the three services, Army, Navy and Air Force, the housing gap remains significant and continues to exert pressure on personnel and their families.

The purpose of this project is therefore to commence the process of bridging this accommodation gap and improving poor utility services confronting the GAF.

Lt. Gen Agyapong further indicated that upon completion of all the project’s five phases, Burma Camp’s accommodation capacity will triple while utilising only a portion of the available land.

Acting Minister for Defence Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, in a speech read on his behalf by the Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, underscored the strategic redevelopment plan’s significance in general, government’s support for development of the various phases while commending the military high command for initiating the project.

He reiterated that government has already commenced a housing project expected to deliver about 2,000 units as part of a long-term plan to construct up to 10,000 housing units for the armed forces.

He further called on stakeholders to support the project, describing it as a transformative effort to turn Burma Camp into a modern and sustainable military community.

Private sector support

Guest of Honour, Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, expressed concern about the deplorable state of housing for the armed forces, urging the private sector to commit resources into the project and ensure dignified accommodation for personnel safeguarding national security.

He revealed that the project will be executed through a public-private partnership supported by government contributions.

He emphasised that the initiative’s success will hinge on four key pillars: clarity of vision, credibility of leadership, accountability in process and alignment in purpose.

These principles, he believes, the GAF leadership holds in high esteem; hence his optimism that the project will be completed within the stipulated timeline.

Sir Samuel Jonah also commended the 5-member Board of Trustees and urged them to uphold transparency and accountability in the execution of their mandate.

Representing the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA), Kwahu Paramount Chief and CEO of GHS Housing Limited Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng III commended the GAF leadership while assuring of the developers association’s full support  for the project.

“We at GREDA are glad to be involved and I want to assure you that, as partners, we will deliver on this project throughout as developers,” he said.

He also announced that GREDA is pledging a one-unit facility to the project. Other private donors to the project include Jospong Group of Companies, VIP Transport, Bank of Ghana, Imperial Homes, National Investment Bank, TT Brothers and Dzata Cement, among others.

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