Military restructuring could improve disaster response

A restructuring of the Ghanaian military, announced on Monday by the office of President Jerry Rawlings would enhance the armed forces’ ability to respond to disasters, a humanitarian source told IRIN.

State-owned radio said Rawlings approved the revision of the structure of the Ghana Armed Forces to allow for increased efficiency and effectiveness. A statement issued on Monday from the office of the president, who is also the commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, said the army had now been organised into Northern and Southern commands.

The navy remains organised into Western and Eastern commands, while the Accra air force station has been redesignated Airforce Base - Accra. The coastal town of Takoradi and Tamale (in the north) are now air force stations and there is now an air force school.

The humanitarian source said the reorganisation would enable the military to respond faster to disasters, especially in the southern part of the country. Southern Ghana is prone to earthquakes, which occur there in cycles of 60-70 years. The last big one, in 1939, measured six on the Richter scale. More recently, the source said, tidal waves caused by suspected seismic activity in the ocean submerged villages along the coast.