Military High command prososes special unit for oil fields (page 28) February 28, 2009

Story:Michael Donkor

THE Military High Command has proposed the establishment of a special unit for soldiers who will be well equipped and permanently positioned to protect the country’s oil fields.
It has also presented to the government its proposals to acquire new ships for the Navy and increase the fleet of aircraft for the Airforce ; a long term measure to address the country’s security needs.
The proposals are contained in a report prepared by the Ghana Armed Forces and presented to the government through the Minister of Defence.
The high command identified some security threats to the country as the drug menace, the traffic in arms, smuggling, pair trawling and pilferage of the country’s natural resources and outlined the means to address them.
The Director-General in-charge of Joint Operations of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Brig-Gen. Richard Debrah told the Daily Graphic that the document was to provide a comprehensive guide for the new government to ensure maximum security for the country, particularly in its territorial waters and oil fields.
He talked about medium, short and long term measures to protect the country's natural resources and maintain internal and external security.
Brig-Gen Debrah noted that the country's approach to the challenges faced by the country’s fishermen against foreign vessels on the country’s seas and also in its oil discovery was not the best.
He mentioned the medium term plan as rehabilitating the ships of the Navy to continue to patrol the coastal line of the country and proposed for the Battalion to be supported with vehicles to enhance their mobility in the oil producing areas.
For a long term plan he proposed that new ships be acquired for the Navy while the fleet of aircraft was increased for the Airforce.
On pair trawling, which he said posed a serious threat to the country’s fishing industry, Brig-Gen. Debrah said not much had changed since news about the state of logistics of the Navy was put in the public domain last year.
He said the United States of America came to their aid with four speed boats to be used in the interim to patrol the seas and were yet to brief the new Defence Minister, Lt Gen Smith on that and the urgent need for adequate logistics to be provided for the Navy to address the situation.
Brig-Gen. Debrah said the patrol exercise embarked upon by the Military at the country's borders were still going on.
He explained that they undertook the exercise in collaboration with other sister security agencies.
Brig-Gen Debrah said for instance that "operation hunter" which was being conducted by the two battalions along the Western borders of the country was to check the smuggling of cocoa while three Battalions was also in-charge of patrols in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He said the way the country's borders were created ,created some problems but quickly said that had been taken care of by the security agencies.
Brig-Gen Debrah said most of the borders were only lines that had been drawn through the houses of people and could not be barricaded because of the international implications it would generate.
He said the only way to make these borders secure was to frequently have foot soldiers and other security agencies patrol there.
Brig-Gen Debrah explained that what they were doing at the moment was to concentrate on full -proof borders and depended on tips to clamp down on criminal activities associated with cross border trades.
He explained that policing borders were the duties of the immigration but they only came in to support them whenever the situation was getting out of hand.