Ghana’s Defence Capacity in Systematic Decline – Franklin Cudjoe

President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has raised alarm over what he describes as the systematic decline of Ghana’s defence capacity, attributing the situation to years of politicisation, questionable procurement practices, and chronic underinvestment in military infrastructure.

His concerns come in the wake of the tragic August 6 helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region, which claimed the lives of two ministers of state and six others. The Ghana Armed Forces has since announced plans to work with international experts to investigate the incident.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue, Mr. Cudjoe stressed that despite billions of euros borrowed in recent years, the Armed Forces remain under-equipped and ill-prepared for modern threats.

“I can’t believe that we have an Armed Forces whose success is systematically in decline. We couldn’t have borrowed almost €13 billion in the last eight years, and yet failed to retool our platforms simply because of political fears,” he said.

According to him, successive governments have shied away from transparent military investment out of fear of opposition criticism, while opposition politicians themselves have questioned defence acquisitions not because the country didn’t need them, but because procurement was often shrouded in secrecy.

Mr. Cudjoe warned that this lack of transparency has left the military vulnerable:

“We are told that what we call equipment in our arsenal cannot withstand even a basic attack. If Togo invaded, within two minutes we would be overrun. And if terrorists are listening, what exactly is our army going to use in response?”

He also criticised government communication on the state of the Armed Forces, pointing out that it was inappropriate for a regional minister — “a layman” — to brief the public on the army’s response time during the recent crash.

Mr. Cudjoe emphasised that unless procurement is depoliticised and investments are made transparently, Ghana risks further eroding its defence credibility, putting both soldiers and civilians at unnecessary risk.