Military as catalyst for national development must move beyond rhetoric

 The Minister for De­fence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, took his turn at the government’s ac­countability series at the Jubilee House on Monday. The series is a platform created for govern­ment to share with its major stakeholders, that is the Ghana­ian people, what the mandate given to it is being used for.

Already, a number of ministers have taken their turn to render vivid accounts of what their stewardship have been so far, and it was only right that the Minister for Defence took his turn too.

The Ghanaian Times, believes that the highlight of Dr Boamah’s presentation was the pronounce­ment that the role of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is being re­defined not merely as a guardian of our national security, but as an active driver of industrial and economic transformation.

We are of the opinion that, redefining the role of the GAF in our national development, beyond providing security is long overdue. For many, when the military is mentioned, all that comes to mind are the images of soldiers in fatigues, peacekeeping missions, and border security.

However, in a world where nations must innovate to accel­erate development, limiting the definition of the GAF to the images listed above would be a great disservice to our country.

Redefining the role of the GAF as not merely guardians of national security but as active drivers of industrial and econom­ic transformation should not be a lipservice.

For us, the recent pronounce­ments by Dr Boamah does not only underscore a bold vision, but also spells out how the coun­try has for over the years, failed to exploit the capabilities of its military beyond the firing of AK 47s and mortars.

According to the Minister, the new role of the GAF will include leveraging the Defence Industries Holding Company (DIHOC) to spearhead strategic projects across the country.

From the 180kilometre Awaso-Takoradi road, critical for bauxite transportation, to the planned six-lane Accra–Ku­masi expressway and large-scale farming initiatives under the Feed Ghana Programme, the military’s engineering expertise and logisti­cal capacity will be mobilised for nation-building.

It is important to empha­sise that this is not an entirely new concept. Across the globe, militaries have historically played critical roles in infrastructure development, disaster manage­ment, and even technological innovation.

In Egypt for example, the armed forces have been instru­mental in delivering massive infrastructure projects with remarkable efficiency and Ghana deciding to chart this course will not be out of place. We believe that the advantages are clear.

GAF is believed to be one of the few military institutions on the continent to have a disciplined workforce, technical know-how, and nationwide reach.

These attributes, we believe, position them uniquely to complement the private sector in tackling complex projects, especially in regions where private investors may be reluctant to ven­ture due to security concerns.

The involvement of the GAF in this direction can fast-track road construction, housing projects, agricultural moderni­sation, and even the restoration of degraded lands impacted by illegal mining.

While we have no doubt in the potential of this step, we believe that it is a model that must be implemented carefully.

The military’s expanded role should not come at the cost of transparency, civilian oversight, or private sector participation.

Rather, it should foster strategic partnerships where the Armed Forces act as enablers of development while maintaining their core mandate of national security.

The Ghanaian Times believes that Ghana stands at the thresh­old of a transformative era and within the context of the Reset Agenda, the country must envi­sion a resilient, self-sufficient, and industrialised nation.

We believe that with the military’s contribution under DIHOC, this vision is no longer aspirational; it is actionable and achievable.

If Ghana succeeds, it could offer a compelling blueprint for how African militaries can serve not just as defenders of sover­eignty but also as architects of economic progress and as the Minister rightly put it: “Egypt has successfully done it in North Af­rica; so can Ghana in West Africa, we believe that Yes, we can!”

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