Chief of the Defence Staff (Ghana)

Professional head of the Ghana Armed Forces

Chief of the Defence Staff

Armed forces coat of arms

Incumbent
General Thomas Oppong-Peprah

since 1 February 2024

Ministry of Defence
Style| Sir
Abbreviation| CDS
Member of| the Defence Staff
Reports to| Minister of Defence
Residence| Burma Camp
Appointer| President of Ghana
in consultation with the Council of State of Ghana
Constituting instrument| Ghana constitution - Article 214
Formation| 1954
First holder| Alexander G. V. Paley
Website| Official website

The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the Ghana Armed Forces. He is thus responsible for the administration and the operational control and command of the Ghana military.[1] The CDS is a member of the Armed Forces Council.[2] This council advice the President of Ghana on matters of policy relating to defence and also regulates the administration of the Armed Forces. It also advises the President on the promotion of all officers above the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel or its equivalent.[3]

The CDS is appointed by the President, in consultation with the Council of State of Ghana.[4]

The current CDS is General Thomas Oppong-Peprah. He was appointed by President Akuffo-Addo in January 2024.

## History of the post

[edit]

The Ghana Army was formed after World War II out of the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force. The officer corps then was entirely European. It was modeled on the British Army. At independence in 1957, the highest ranking Ghanaian officer was a major.[5] Major General A. G. V. Paley served as the General Officer Commanding the Ghana Regiment of Infantry which had succeeded the Gold Coast Regiment between 1957 and 1959. This position was effectively equivalent to Army commander as there was no Air Force or Navy.

The position of Chief of Defence Staff was first created in 1959 after the formation of the Ghana Navy and the Ghana Air Force. Major-General Henry Alexander was appointed as the first CDS though he effectively doubled as the Ghana Army commander as well. Since 1961, the position of army commander and CDS have been separate.[6] The first native Ghanaian CDS was Major General S. J. A. Otu.[7]

## Chiefs of the Defence Staff (1954–present)

[edit]

The former heads of the Ghana Armed Forces were referred to while in office as either General Officers Commanding or Chiefs of the Defence Staff.[8]

No. | Portrait  | Chief of the Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Paley, AlexanderMajor General
Alexander G. V. Paley
(1903–1976)| 1954| 11 January 1960| 5–6 years|  Ghana Army

| Alexander, Henry TemplerMajor General
Henry Templer Alexander CB, CBE, DSO
(1911–1977)
[9]| 11 January 1960| September 1961| 1 year, 7 months|  Ghana Army

| Otu, StephenMajor General
Stephen J. A. Otu[10]
(1915–1979)
(First Ghanaian to be appointed CDS)| September 1961| 24 July 1965| 3 years|  Ghana Army

| Aferi, NathanMajor General
Nathan A. Aferi[10]
(1923–2003)| 24 July 1965| 24 February 1966| 7 months|  Ghana Army

| Kotoka, EmmanuelLieutenant General
Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka
(1926–1967)| 24 February 1966| 17 April 1967 †| 1 year, 52 days|  Ghana Army

| Ankrah, JosephLieutenant General
Joseph Arthur Ankrah
(1915–1992)| 17 April 1967| March 1968| 10 months|  Ghana Army

| Otu, MichaelAir Marshal
Michael Akuoko Otu OSG
(1925–2006)| March 1968| November 1968| 8 months|  Ghana Air Force

| Ocran, AlbertLieutenant General
Albert Kwesi Ocran
(1929–2019)| November 1968| November 1969| 1 year|  Ghana Army
(7)|

| Otu, MichaelAir Marshal
Michael Akuoko Otu OSG
(1925–2006)| November 1969| June 1971| 1 year, 7 months|  Ghana Air Force

| Addo, DanielMajor General
Daniel K. Addo| June 1971| January 1972| 7 months|  Ghana Army
10|

| Ashley-Lassen, NapoleonAir Vice-Marshal
Napoleon Yaovi R. Ashley-Lassen
(born 1934)| January 1972| December 1974| 2 years, 11 months|  Ghana Air Force
11|

| Okai, LawrenceMajor General
Lawrence A. Okai
(1934–2017)| December 1974| November 1976| 1 year, 11 months|  Ghana Army
12|

| Akuffo, FredLieutenant General
Fred Akuffo
(1937–1979)| November 1976| 5 July 1978| 1 year, 8 months|  Ghana Army
13|

| Kotei, RobertMajor General
Robert Kotei
(1935–1979)| 5 July 1978| 23 July 1978| 18 days|  Ghana Army
14|

| Hamidu, JoshuaLieutenant General
Joshua Hamidu
(1936–2021)| 23 July 1978| 4 June 1979| 316 days|  Ghana Army
15|

| Prah, E.Colonel
E. D. F. Prah| 4 June 1979| 7 July 1979| 33 days|  Ghana Army
16|

| Nunoo-Mensah, JosephBrigadier
Joseph Nunoo-Mensah
(born 1939)| 7 July 1979| 27 November 1979| 143 days|  Ghana Army
17|

| Sam, EdwinMajor General
Edwin Kwamina Sam
(born 1940)| 27 November 1979| 6 December 1979| 9 days|  Ghana Army
18|

| Odaate-Barnor, JohnAir Vice-Marshal
John E. Odaate-Barnor
(1937–2012)| 7 December 1979| 31 December 1981| 2 years, 24 days|  Ghana Air Force
(16)|

| Nunoo-Mensah, JosephBrigadier
Joseph Nunoo-Mensah
(born 1939)| 1 January 1982| 23 November 1982| 326 days|  Ghana Army
19|

| Rawlings, JerryFlight Lieutenant
Jerry Rawlings
(1947–2020)| 28 November 1982| 25 August 1983| 270 days|  Ghana Air Force
20|

| Quainoo, ArnoldLieutenant General
Arnold Quainoo| 25 August 1983| 22 September 1989| 6 years, 28 days|  Ghana Army
21|

| Mensa-Wood, WinstonLieutenant General
Winston Mensa-Wood
(1940–1992)| 4 June 1990| 21 March 1992| 1 year, 291 days|  Ghana Army
22|

| Dumashie, AchillesAir Marshal
Achilles Harry Kwami Dumashie
(1938–2002)
[11]| 22 March 1992| 1 October 1996| 4 years, 193 days|  Ghana Air Force
23|

| Akafia, BenLieutenant General
Ben K. Akafia
(born 1940)
[12]| 1 October 1996| February 2001| 4 years, 4 months|  Ghana Army
24|

| Obeng, SethLieutenant General
Seth Kofi Obeng
(born 1945)| February 2001| 28 February 2005| 4 years|  Ghana Army
25|

| Danquah, JosephLieutenant General
Joseph Boateng Danquah
(born 1947)| 20 February 2005| 28 January 2009| 3 years, 343 days|  Ghana Army

| Nunoo, A.Rear Admiral
A. R. S. Nunoo
Acting| 28 January 2009| 31 March 2009| 62 days|  Ghana Navy
26|

| Blay, PeterLieutenant General
Peter A. Blay
[13]| 31 March 2009| 28 March 2013| 3 years, 362 days|  Ghana Army
27|

| Quashie, MatthewVice Admiral
Matthew Quashie
(1951–2020)
[14]| 28 March 2013| 5 January 2016| 2 years, 283 days|  Ghana Navy
28|

| Samson-Oje, MichaelAir Marshal
Michael Samson-Oje
(born 1954)| 5 January 2016| 9 February 2017| 1 year, 35 days|  Ghana Air Force
29|

| Akwa, ObedLieutenant General
Obed Akwa
(born 1955)
[15]| 9 February 2017| 5 February 2021| 3 years, 362 days|  Ghana Army
30|

| Amoama, SethVice Admiral
Seth Amoama
(born 1959)| 5 February 2021| 31 January 2024| 4 years, 29 days|  Ghana Navy
31|

| Oppong-Peprah, ThomasGeneral
Thomas Oppong-Peprah| 1 February 2024| Incumbent| 1 year, 33 days|  Ghana Army

## See also

[edit]

* Ghana Army
* Ghana Air Force
* Ghana Navy

## References

[edit]

1. ^ 1992 Ghana constitution - Article 213
2. ^ 1992 Ghana Constitution - Article 211.
3. ^ 1992 Ghana constitution - Article 214
4. ^ 1992 Ghana constitution - Article 212 (1)(a)
5. ^ "The Historical Context" (PDF). National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 1 Chapter 3. Ghana government. October 2004. pp. 30–31\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2007.30-31&rft.date=2004-10&rft_id=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/NRC/VOL%201%20CHAPTER%203%20%20EXEC.SUM.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Chief+of+the+Defence+Staff+(Ghana)" class="Z3988">
6. ^ "The Security Services" (PDF). National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 4 Chapter 1. Ghana government. October 2004. pp. 30–31\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2007.30-31&rft.date=2004-10&rft_id=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/NRC/Vol%204%20Chpt%201%20com.sec.rep.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Chief+of+the+Defence+Staff+(Ghana)" class="Z3988">
7. ^ Kraus, Jon (April 1966). "Ghana Without Nkrumah - The Men In Charge". Africa Report. pp. 30–31. Retrieved 7 June 2007.30-31&rft.date=1966-04&rft.aulast=Kraus&rft.aufirst=Jon&rft_id=http://home.comcast.net/~amaah/writings/ghana-without-nkrumah-men-in-charge.html&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Chief+of+the+Defence+Staff+(Ghana)" class="Z3988">
8. ^ "Past General Officers Commanding /chiefs of the Defence Staff". Official website. Ghana Armed Forces. 6 February 2008. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
9. ^ "No. 41949". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 February 1960. p. 1005.
10. ^ a b Jubilee Ghana: A 50-year news journey thro' Graphic. Accra: Graphic Communications Group Ltd. 2006. p. 94\. ISBN 9988809786.
11. ^ "Farewell Service Held For Ex-Chief Of Defence Staff". General News of Friday, 31 January 2003. Ghana Home Page. 30 November 2001. Retrieved 19 June 2007.
12. ^ "New Military Chiefs Take Over Command". General News of Monday, 26 March 2001. Ghana Home Page. Retrieved 19 June 2007.
13. ^ "Shake-up in Ghana Armed Forces". Ghana Home Page. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
14. ^ "Profile of Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie, Chief of Defence Staff". www.highstreetmail.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
15. ^ Online, Myjoy. "President appoints new Chief of Army Staff". www.myjoyonline.com. Multimedia Group. Retrieved 2 June 2017.

## External links

[edit]

* 1992 Constitution Chapter 17:The Armed Forces of Ghana
* Ghana Armed Forces website Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine

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