There was a change of command at the 66 Artillery Regiment in Ho last Friday when the outgoing Commanding Officer (CO), Lieutenant Colonel Edward Sarpong Appiah, handed the Baton-of-Command to Lieutenant Colonel Jalali Din Ibrahim at a ceremony at the regiment.

Lt Colonel Ibrahim served as the unit’s Commander Rear for 15 months while the CO was away on peacekeeping duties in Abyei, Sudan. In a farewell message, Lt Colonel Sarpong thanked the officers and men of the regiment, chiefs and people of the Volta and Oti regions, as well as the coordinating councils for their cooperation and commitment to upholding peace during his tenure of office, which commenced on December 29, 2020, and lasted for three years, six months and 21 days.

He acknowledged the Military High Command’s ability to quell the recent disturbances in the Volta Region by some separatist groups and gave an assurance that the regiment was ever ready to uphold the peace and maintain security in the regions at all times.

“The 66 Artillery Regiment, he said, would continue to defend and protect the people and deal swiftly and ruthlessly with any group or individual who attempted to undermine peace,” said Lt. Colonel Appiah.

Professionalism

He commended personnel of the regiment for their loyalty and high sense of professionalism and entreated them to support the new commanding officer in the same vein.

Lt Colonel Appiah congratulated the incoming commanding officer, saying: “I am confident that you will be a successful commanding officer, and you can count on my support whenever the need arises.”

The guest of honour was the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Southern Command, Brigadier General Samuel Yeboah Asare. He commended the outgoing CO for his dedication to duty and advised the new CO to proceed cautiously and build on the successes of his predecessor.

The handover ceremony was followed immediately by the pulling-out ceremony for Lt Col Appiah.

The new Commanding Officer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Sociology and a Master of Science in Defence and International Politics. Lt Colonel Ibrahim is married with four children and has performed several international duties with the United Nations.