Chief of the Defence Staff | |
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![]() Armed forces coat of arms | |
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 Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong-Peprah. He was appointed by President Akuffo-Addo in January 2024.
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]
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 |
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1 | Alexander G. V. Paley (1903–1976) | Major General1954 | 11 January 1960 | 5–6 years | ![]() | |
2 | Henry Templer Alexander CB , CBE , DSO (1911–1977) [9] | Major General11 January 1960 | September 1961 | 1 year, 7 months | ![]() | |
3 | Stephen J. A. Otu [10] (1915–1979) (First Ghanaian to be appointed CDS) | Major GeneralSeptember 1961 | 24 July 1965 | 3 years | ![]() | |
4 | Nathan A. Aferi [10] (1923–2003) | Major General24 July 1965 | 24 February 1966 | 0 years | ![]() | |
5 | Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka (1926–1967) | Lieutenant General24 February 1966 | 17 April 1967 † | 1 year, 52 days | ![]() | |
6 | Joseph Arthur Ankrah (1915–1992) | Lieutenant General17 April 1967 | March 1968 | 10 months | ![]() | |
7 | Michael Akuoko Otu OSG (1925–2006) | Air MarshalMarch 1968 | November 1968 | 8 months | ![]() | |
8 | Albert Kwesi Ocran (1929–2019) | Lieutenant GeneralNovember 1968 | November 1969 | 1 year | ![]() | |
(7) | Michael Akuoko Otu OSG (1925–2006) | Air MarshalNovember 1969 | June 1971 | 1 year, 7 months | ![]() | |
9 | Daniel K. Addo | Major GeneralJune 1971 | January 1972 | 7 months | ![]() | |
10 | Napoleon Yaovi R. Ashley-Lassen (born 1934) | Air Vice-MarshalJanuary 1972 | December 1974 | 2 years, 11 months | ![]() | |
11 | Lawrence A. Okai (1934–2017) | Major GeneralDecember 1974 | November 1976 | 1 year, 11 months | ![]() | |
12 | Fred Akuffo (1937–1979) | Lieutenant GeneralNovember 1976 | 5 July 1978 | 1 year, 8 months | ![]() | |
13 | Robert Kotei (1935–1979) | Major General5 July 1978 | 23 July 1978 | 18 days | ![]() | |
14 | Joshua Hamidu (1936–2021) | Lieutenant General23 July 1978 | 4 June 1979 | 316 days | ![]() | |
15 | E. D. F. Prah | Colonel4 June 1979 | 7 July 1979 | 33 days | ![]() | |
16 | Joseph Nunoo-Mensah (born 1939) | Brigadier7 July 1979 | 27 November 1979 | 143 days | ![]() | |
17 | Edwin Kwamina Sam (born 1940) | Major General27 November 1979 | 6 December 1979 | 9 days | ![]() | |
18 | John E. Odaate-Barnor (1937–2012) | Air Vice-Marshal7 December 1979 | 31 December 1981 | 2 years, 24 days | ![]() | |
(16) | Joseph Nunoo-Mensah (born 1939) | Brigadier1 January 1982 | 23 November 1982 | 326 days | ![]() | |
19 | Jerry Rawlings (1947–2020) | Flight Lieutenant28 November 1982 | 25 August 1983 | 270 days | ![]() | |
20 | Arnold Quainoo | Lieutenant General25 August 1983 | 22 September 1989 | 6 years, 28 days | ![]() | |
21 | Winston Mensa-Wood (1940–1992) | Lieutenant General4 June 1990 | 21 March 1992 | 1 year, 291 days | ![]() | |
22 | Achilles Harry Kwami Dumashie (1938–2002) [11] | Air Marshal22 March 1992 | 1 October 1996 | 4 years, 193 days | ![]() | |
23 | Ben K. Akafia (born 1940) [12] | Lieutenant General1 October 1996 | February 2001 | 4 years, 4 months | ![]() | |
24 | Seth Kofi Obeng (born 1945) | Lieutenant GeneralFebruary 2001 | 28 February 2005 | 4 years | ![]() | |
25 | Joseph Boateng Danquah (born 1947) | Lieutenant General20 February 2005 | 28 January 2009 | 3 years, 343 days | ![]() | |
– | A. R. S. Nunoo Acting | Rear Admiral28 January 2009 | 31 March 2009 | 62 days | ![]() | |
26 | Peter A. Blay [13] | Lieutenant General31 March 2009 | 28 March 2013 | 3 years, 362 days | ![]() | |
27 | Matthew Quashie (1951–2020) [14] | Vice Admiral28 March 2013 | 5 January 2016 | 2 years, 283 days | ![]() | |
28 | Michael Samson-Oje (born 1954) | Air Marshal5 January 2016 | 9 February 2017 | 1 year, 35 days | ![]() | |
29 | Obed Akwa (born 1955) [15] | Lieutenant General9 February 2017 | 5 February 2021 | 3 years, 362 days | ![]() | |
30 | Seth Amoama (born 1959) | Vice Admiral5 February 2021 | 31 January 2024 | 3 years, 18 days | ![]() | |
31 | Thomas Oppong-Peprah | Lieutenant General1 February 2024 | Incumbent | 22 days | ![]() |
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