Some of the top Generals in the Ghana Armed Forces
GhanaWeb Feature by Amos Manteaw
On March 17, 2025, President John Dramani Mahama appointed Brigadier General William Agyapong as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
He replaces General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, who was appointed by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in February 2024.
Consequences of the appointment
President Mahama’s appointment of Brigadier General William Agyapong has significant implications for the senior officers within the GAF.
Under the military’s hierarchy, all officers ranked Brigadier General whose intake is higher than William Agyapong and ranks including Major Generals, Lieutenant Generals, and General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, will be required to retire.
This is because a junior-ranked officer cannot command senior officers who have served longer in the military.
In practical terms, this means that all Generals with an intake year earlier than Brigadier General Agyapong’s will have to retire from the service.
The only exception is for officers assigned to civilian duties.
Political and financial implications
The decision has sparked concerns about the impact of the changes on Ghana’s military strength and financial burden.
Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Committee on Defence and Interior, criticized the move in a social media post:
“President Mahama has today dismissed the Chief of Defence Staff and all Service Chiefs in the Ghana Armed Forces, along with 12 senior military officers holding the rank of Major General and above (i.e., all 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star Generals). Many of these officers still had six years before reaching their official retirement age.
“This decision will cost the public millions of cedis in gratuities due to premature dismissals, replacing experienced senior generals with lower-ranked Brigadier Generals (1-star Generals). Just as Ghana had expanded its military capabilities, upgrading key corps such as armor, artillery, signals, and engineers to Brigade status, thus justifying a 4-star General as Chief of Defence Staff, this move, resets the hierarchy back to a 1-star General. This is a costly and regressive decision.”
While the decision aligns with the President’s constitutional powers, it raises concerns about military hierarchy, experience retention, and financial strain on the government.
Military hierarchy and chain of command
The phrase “obey before complain” has long been a guiding principle in the military. It emphasizes the strict hierarchy and discipline required in the military, where personnel are expected to follow orders before voicing concerns.
This tradition underscores the importance of seniority and command structure, which form the backbone of military operations.
Seniority and command structure in the Ghana Armed Forces
Seniority is a key element in the Ghana Armed Forces, influencing promotions, appointments, and daily interactions within the service.
A junior officer must always acknowledge and pay compliments to a senior officer, as failure to do so is considered a breach of military protocol.
The GAF is structured into two main categories:
1.Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs): Enlisted personnel, commonly referred to as soldiers.
2.Commissioned Officers: Officers who have received their commission from the President and mostly hold leadership roles.
Within the commissioned officers’ ranks, there exists a strict seniority system. Even if officers belong to the same intake or hold the same rank, seniority is determined by academic merit, promotion, leadership roles, and the year of entry into the military academy.
Consequently, an officer who entered training earlier holds seniority over those who joined later.
A fundamental rule in the military is that a junior rank cannot command a senior rank. If a junior officer is appointed to lead a unit where there are senior officers, the senior officers are often forced into early retirement to maintain the chain of command.
AM/KA
Meanwhile, catch the first in the series of our special episodes on Forgotten Forts on People and Places on GhanaWeb TV below. This episode focuses on Fort Amsterdam at Abandze:
