…Nigerian bank sues; Officers blame late businessman
A Nigerian bank operating in Ghana, has filed a lawsuit against the Ghana Army, demanding the recovery of US$250,000, linked to a military procurement deal gone wrong.
The funds, intended for the supply of military uniforms, reportedly never made it into the designated commercial bank account after the items were supplied, raising serious concerns over financial irregularities within the military.
Money was taken from the Ghana Army accounts, but the bank was not paid, hence the lawsuit.
According to sources, Prince Daron Obasa, the businessman who facilitated the deal, secured a loan from the Nigerian bank using a Ghana Army guarantee.
However, before the Army, could not honour its financial obligations, Obasa passed away, leaving the transaction in limbo.
The bank’s efforts to retrieve the money, have not been successful. The money is said to be with a top officer, who said he was using it to look after the children of the late businessman, Prince Darron Obasa, who died in 2021.
Reports indicate that Col. Michael Nkrumah, the then Service Financial Controller for the Ghana Army, allegedly facilitated the cash transaction without the knowledge or authorization of General Oppong-Peprah, the Chief of Army Staff.
Despite his alleged role in the financial irregularity, Col. Nkrumah, has not faced any trial or punishment. Instead, he has since been promoted to Commanding Officer of the Forces Pay Regiment.
The situation, has sparked tensions within military leadership, with Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), reportedly confronting General Oppong-Peprah, over the missing funds.
However, the Deputy Director of Army Legal Affairs, Colonel Awuah Ameyaw, is said to vigorously defend the Army’s position, though many remain skeptical about its credibility.
With the Nigerian bank pushing for repayment through legal channels, the Ghana Army, now faces a complex legal and financial challenge.
Insiders reveal that the matter has been discussed at the highest levels of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), but no decisive action has been taken against those involved.
The Herald, has learned that Col. Nkrumah, had previously disclosed details of the US$250,000 transaction to former military heads, including the then-Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, currently Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, but no formal action was taken at the time.
As the lawsuit unfolds, questions remain about who authorized the transaction, how the funds were handled, and why no punitive measures have been taken against those implicated.
The case is expected to pressure the Ministry of Defense and Ghana Army’s leadership to account for the missing funds and clarify their financial oversight practices.
This comes as The Herald, has reported that the ongoing feud between the current Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Bismark Kwasi Onwona, has intensified and reached a critical point.
The latest rift stems from an investigation into missing ammunition that was reportedly handed over by the Army Commander to the National Security Secretariat for an operation by the Northern Command in December last year but is now unaccounted for.
In response, General Oppong-Peprah, has established a Military Board of Inquiry (BOI) to probe the circumstances surrounding the missing ammunition.
According to military sources, the Board is led by Vice Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu, the Chief of Naval Staff, with Brigadier General Winfred Dzandu-Hedidor, the Director General in Charge of GAF, also serving as a member.
The BOI’s findings, which will be submitted to the CDS on 26 February 2025, are expected to lead to a military court martial for Lt Gen. Onwona.
Insiders indicate that while it is common practice for the GAF to loan pistols and other weapons to the National Security Secretariat for operations and training, Lt General Onwona’s handling of this particular ammunition transfer has been called into question by General Oppong-Peprah, who alleges that this could be used to topple the Mahama government.
However, some sources argue that General Oppong-Peprah himself engaged in similar, if not worse, practices when he served as Army Commander.
Reports suggest that Major General William Azure Ayamdo, a retired Army Commander, could be cited as a witness to such precedents.
Despite both being considered loyalists of former President Akufo-Addo, Oppong-Peprah and Onwona have reportedly clashed over military promotions, retirements, peacekeeping funds, and operations money since the previous administration.
A significant source of contention has been funds allocated for military operations by the National Security Secretariat, which General Oppong-Peprah, allegedly sought to control. It is from the rift that details of Prince Daron Obasa’s US$250,000 are popping out.
Lt General Onwona, who previously served as President Akufo-Addo’s Aide-de-Camp (ADC), has been locked in a power struggle with General Oppong-Peprah. He refused to be controlled by the CDS and largely succeeded, but the CDS, a one-time Army Commander himself, has devised other plans.
Sources indicate that General Oppong-Peprah, has recently shifted his political alignments, reconnecting with his Bono regional ties and building relationships with prominent figures in the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Notably, he has grown closer to Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, the new Minister of Defence, and is seen hanging in his armpit.
Despite their internal conflicts, both General Oppong-Peprah and Lt General Onwona received promotions before President Nana Akufo-Addo left office on January 7, 2025.
In his final State of the Nation Address on January 3, 2025, the former President announced: “In line with our commitment to aligning with international military norms and enhancing the authority of our top military officials, I am pleased, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to announce the elevation of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) to the rank of General, and the Chiefs of Army Staff, Navy Staff, Air Staff, and the Chief of Staff at the General Headquarters to the rank of Lieutenant General or its equivalent.”
He added: “These promotions, alongside our successes in anti-terrorism programmes and cross-border security initiatives, position Ghana as a serious player in defence, and bolster our international partnerships in peacekeeping and security.”
With these promotions in place, the internal power struggle within the Ghana Armed Forces is expected to escalate further as key players manoeuvre for influence under the Mahama administration.
As the Military Board of Inquiry (BOI) continues its investigation into the missing ammunition, many within military and political circles are closely watching how these tensions will unfold, particularly with Ghana’s security landscape at stake.
