Ghana’s Defence Minister and Member of Parliament for Bimbila, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul on Wednesday, 12th April, 2023 paid a courtesy call on the King and Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom, Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale (I) at his temporal residence in Damongo.
The Defence Minister was led by the Savannah regional minister, Hon. Saeed Muhazu Jibriel, the West Gonja Municipal Chief executive, Hon. Musah Karim Kusubari in the company of the Chief of Army staff, Major Gen. Thomas Oppong Pepra, the commanding officer of the 155 Armoured regiment, Lt. Col. Hoffman Philemon and other senior officers of the Ghana Armed forces.
Speaking at the Palace, Hon. Nitiwul said it was a privilege for him to have come to visit the king since he ascended the throne of the Gonja people which he described as one of the most peaceful kingdoms one can find in Northern Ghana and in Ghana as a whole, noting that he could not have moved into the seat of the Kingdom to start commissioning an accommodation facility without paying homage and greeting him as Father of the area.
Explaining his mission in the area to the king, the Defence minister said, for them in the Ministry of Defence and the Ghana Armed forces sees the king as a partner, a reason for which the chief of Defence staff, saw the need to set up a regiment in Damongo to fulfill the pledge of President Nana Akufo-Addo when he said he will expand the Ghana Armed forces both in Men, equipments and training.
He indicated to the king that the regiment started some two years ago with a little over 100 army officers but today has close to 500 of them.
He disclosed that, they are hoping to build the regiment into a battalion just like the 6th battalion at Kamina barracks in Tamale.
He further disclosed that, he was in Damongo to commission an accommodation facility for the officers of the 155 armoured regiment as part of their commitment to provide accommodation facilities for the Men and women of the Ghana Armed forces in a barracks form where they can train, discipline and work together.
The Yagbonwura on his part, thanked the defence minister and his entourage for paying homage to him and said, he has accepted the Defence Minister and his team just as they accepted him as their father and noted that, he is a father of many children in the Gonja Kingdom, some of which are bad nuts and therefore appealed to Minister and his men to have a bit of patience when dealing with his children especially with those who may in one way offend them.
The savannah regional Minister who led the delegation thanked the King for his patience and continuous support to them and assured him of their support and also pledged never to let him down.
Source: Padfm.com.gh/Kumatey Gorden/0243531604
