Soldiers Cry Over Poor Accommodation

Lt. Col. Amengor (L) conducting Dr. Kumbour and his entourage round the Volta barracks.

Military officers and other staff of the 66 Artillery Regiment Barracks in Ho, the Volta Regional capital, have raised serious concerns about their living conditions in the barracks.

According to them, although they have very enviable neatness traits and high morale, their accommodation and other sanitary facilities are nothing to write home about.

The Commanding Officer of the Regiment, Lt Col Selorm Amengor, who lamented about the situation, urged government to as a matter of urgency come to the aid of the regiment to ease the sufferings of families living in the barracks.

Lt Col Amengor made the appeal when the Defence Minister, Dr Benjamin Kumbour and a delegation of senior military officers paid a working visit to the garrison recently. Giving a vivid account of the challenges and conditions at the 66 Artillery Regiment, Lt Col Amengor noted that apart from inadequate accommodation, the available facilities were in a very bad state.

He said 'a lot of the roofs have seriously deteriorated and leak whenever it rains. The situation is so bad that families dread the rains; and the roofs as you can see have been patched so many times that right now an entire re-roofing is needed.'

He also lamented about the lack of adequate and proper places of convenience at the barracks, disclosing, 'three families now use one water closet, and this is not hygienic.'

An attempt to improve the situation has yielded very little results, he stated, saying, 'We suggested that self-contained toilets and baths be constructed for the junior rank accommodation. But an initial plan for the conversion has so far seen only two, out of the 30 blocks which were suggested, being done.'

Lt Col Amengor also complained about an abandoned housing project for the garrison.

'We also have a two four-story uncompleted accommodation which when completed will be able to accommodate sixteen families. This project has been at a standstill since 2012. The release of funds for them to be completed will ease the serious accommodation problem facing the regiment,' he stressed.

Minister Reacts
Dr Benjamin Kumbour, who was obviously unhappy about the situation, admitted that the conditions of the various garrisons in the country were not in the best of shape. To this end, he said his ministry with the support of the president would begin some corrective measures to improve the situation.

He admitted that 'The conditions cut across all the garrisons I have been to so far and this should not be the conditions under which our soldiers should be living.'

He then announced that 'In fact the Commander-in-Chief (President Mahama) has directed me to carry out this physical inspection and that we should take immediate remedial measures. We’re hoping that between now and April next year, you should begin to see some physical changes across all the garrisons in the country.'

Meanwhile some military officers of the barracks, who spoke to DAILY GUIDE on condition of anonymity, urged the minister not to renege on his promise as did his predecessors.

From Fred Duodu, Ho ([email protected])