The project was funded by a philanthropist, M David Paa Kwesi Yarquah, at GH¢700,000.

The Chief of Army Staff, Major General Thomas Oppong Peprah, who inaugurated the facility at Michel Camp, near Tema, said it would reduce the accommodation challenges facing the unit, especially for young soldiers posted to the battalion.

He said the ongoing infrastructure expansion programme of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) was necessitated by the increased number of officers and men.

Barracks regeneration

Maj. Gen. Oppong-Peprah disclosed that under the Barracks Regeneration project, the construction of 16 units of two-bedroom semi-detached blocks was underway to accommodate 32 households at Michel Camp.

Work on eight units for personnel of the Base Ammunition Depot (BAD) of the GAF was also underway.

He said the four-storey flat to accommodate 16 families was also progressing steadily.

Maj. Gen. Oppong-Peprah said 1BN was a strategic unit because of its location.

He explained that their tasks and responsibilities often required the deployment of troops at short notices, while in other cases, troops were required to be on standby to respond to emergencies, hence the need to augment accommodation to have more personnel at the camp.

The Chief of Army Staff said 1BN had since time immemorial done well to accommodate troops from other units of the GAF, including personnel of the Ghana Navy, stressing that this had led to increased pressure on the already inadequate accommodation facilities at the camp.

He said the military high command was committed to fixing challenges facing the various units, including accommodation which had been identified as a major concern.

Maj. Gen. Oppong-Peprah urged occupants of the block to exercise good maintenance culture.

The Commanding Officer of 1BN, Lt Col Simeon Barifi Nyante, expressed appreciation to the military high command for the intervention, stressing that it was a solution to one of the major challenges the unit had been grappling with.

“Accommodation is a vital asset which is needed when it comes to soldiers of the unit,” he said, adding that without adequate accommodation, the unit could not cater for the basic needs of soldiers deployed to the unit.