Encroachment of Military lands poses security threat - Armed Forces

Source: myjoyonline.com  -  Ghana Armed Forces has expressed concern over the encroachment of large tracts of its lands at Burma Camp in Accra by private developers....

Director of Public Affairs for the Ghana Armed Forces, Lt Col Eric Aggrey Quarshie told JoyNews’ Jospeh Opoku Gakpo that encroachers have built homes close to structures in which arms and ammunitions are stored.

This, he says, poses a huge security risk which could result in heavy casualties if an accident should occur.

“They are putting themselves in harm’s way”, he lamented, mentioning an explosion which occurred in a barracks in Nigeria in 2011, resulting in the deaths of several people.

Armories, he said, were usually sited far away from troop settlements. These private developers are therefore putting themselves in great danger by putting up their structures so close to these security zones.

Lt Col Quarshie also expressed concern over the loss of lands which were previously reserved for the training of military personnel.

In the past, he said, trainees could conduct their training without approaching any settlements but this is no longer the case as private developments expand onto military lands, adding that “The barracks is getting smaller and smaller.”

Lt Col Quarshie assured that the military was doing everything possible to discourage the encroachment and that “due diligence” was being exercised to handle the situation.