Minister for Defence (Ghana)

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The Minister for Defence (Ghana) is the Ghanaian government official responsible for the Ministry of Defence of Ghana and the Ghana Armed Forces. The Minister for Defence from January 2025 until his death on 6 August 2025 was Edward Omane Boamah. He was appointed by President John Mahama at the start of his second stint as President of Ghana.

Contents

List of ministers

The ministry has had a succession of ministers since independence, starting with the Governor-General. During the rule of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, there was no specific minister as the council as a body was responsible for Defence. [1]

During the years of military rule, the official in charge of the Ministry of Defence was often the Head of state. Thus, Lt General J. A..Ankrah, Lt. General A. A. Afrifa were in charge of the Ministry during the National Liberation Council era between 1966 and 1969. Between 1972 and 1979, General I. K. Acheampong and Lt. General F. W. K. Akuffo took charge of the Ministry under the National Redemption Council and the Supreme Military Council. The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) under Flt. Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings was the first military government not to have the Head of state head the ministry. The Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) military government appointed civilian ministers to head the ministry.

Mahama Iddrisu has served longest in this office. He was the Minister of Defence for the last seven years of the military rule of the PNDC from 1985 to January 1993. He then continued as the first Minister to be appointed in the NDC government of the Fourth republic by Jerry Rawlings from January 1993 to February 1999, an additional six years making a total of fourteen years.

NumberMinisterTook officeLeft officeGovernmentParty
1 Charles Noble Arden-Clarke 19571958 Nkrumah government Governor-General
2Rev Stephen Allen Dzirasa (MP)19581959 Convention People's Party
3 Kwame Nkrumah (MP)19591960
4 Charles de Graft Dickson [2] (MP)July 1960September 1961
5 Kofi Baako [2] (MP) [3] September 196124 February 1966
3 Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka [2] June 1966July 1967 National Liberation Council Military government
6 Joseph Arthur Ankrah [2] July 19671968
7 Akwasi Afrifa 19681969
7 Albert Kwesi Ocran [2] April 1969September 1969
8 J. Kwesi Lamptey [2] (MP)September 1969January 1971 Busia government Progress Party
9 Bukari Adama [2] (MP)27 Jan 197112 Jan 1972
10 Ignatius Kutu Acheampong Jan 19729 Oct 1975 National Redemption Council Military government
9 Oct 19755 Jul 1978 Supreme Military Council
11 Lt. General Fred Akuffo 5 Jul 19784 Jun 1979
1219791979 Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
13 S. K. Riley-Poku 197931 Dec 1981 Limann government People's National Party
14 Naa Polku Konkuu Chiiri 1982Nov 1983 Provisional National Defence Council Military government
15 Rear Admiral C. K. Dzang 22 Nov 19831985
16 Mahama Iddrisu 19856 Jan 1993
7 Jan 1993Feb 1999 Rawlings government National Democratic Congress
17Lt. Col. E. K. T. Donkoh Feb 19996 Jan 2001
18 Kwame Addo-Kufuor (MP)7 Jan 20016 Aug 2007 Kufuor government New Patriotic Party
19 Albert Kan-Dapaah (MP)6 Aug 20076 Jan 2009
20 Lt. Gen. Joseph Henry Smith 6 Jan 200924 Jul 2012 Mills government National Democratic Congress
24 Jul 201218 Feb 2013 Mahama government
21 Mark Owen Woyongo (MP)14 Feb 201316 July 2014
22 Benjamin Kumbuor (MP)16 Jul 2014Feb 2017
23 Dominic Nitiwul (MP)Feb 20176 January 2025 Akufo-Addo government New Patriotic Party
24 Edward Omane Boamah 30 January 2025 [4] [5] 6 August 2025 Mahama 2nd government National Democratic Congress
Cassiel Ato Forson (MP)
(Acting Minister)		7 August 2025 [6] [7] incumbent

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Past Ministers for Defence". Official website. Ghana Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 8 April 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bidwell, Robin Leonard (1978). Guide to African ministers. London: R. Collings. ISBN   0860360644.
  3. ↑ Kraus, Jon (April 1966). "Ghana Without Nkrumah - The Men In Charge". Africa Report. Archived from the original on 19 May 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  4. ↑ "Mahama swears-in third batch of 14 new ministers". ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
  5. ↑ "Mahama swears in third batch of Ministers - MyJoyOnline". www.myjoyonline.com. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
  6. ↑ "President names Ato Forson, Kofi Buah as acting Defence and Environment Ministers". ghanaweb.com. 7 August 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  7. ↑ "Ghana's finance minister made acting defence minister after fatal crashGhana's finance minister made acting defence minister after fatal crash". reuters.com. Reuters. 7 August 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
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