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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]
| Chief of the Defence Staff | |
|---|---|
 Armed forces coat of arms | |
since 1 February 2024 | |
| 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 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.
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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]
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Major General Alexander G. V. Paley (1903–1976) | 1954 | 11 January 1960 | 5–6 years |  Ghana Army | |
| 2 | Major General Henry Templer Alexander CB, CBE, DSO (1911–1977) [9] | 11 January 1960 | September 1961 | 1 year, 7 months | Ghana Army | |
| 3 | Major General Stephen J. A. Otu[10] (1915–1979) (First Ghanaian to be appointed CDS) | September 1961 | 24 July 1965 | 3 years | Ghana Army | |
| 4 | Major General Nathan A. Aferi[10] (1923–2003) | 24 July 1965 | 24 February 1966 | 0 years | Ghana Army | |
| 5 | Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka (1926–1967) | 24 February 1966 | 17 April 1967 † | 1 year, 52 days | Ghana Army | |
| 6 | Lieutenant General Joseph Arthur Ankrah (1915–1992) | 17 April 1967 | March 1968 | 10 months | Ghana Army | |
| 7 | Air Marshal Michael Akuoko Otu OSG (1925–2006) | March 1968 | November 1968 | 8 months |  Ghana Air Force | |
| 8 | Lieutenant General Albert Kwesi Ocran (1929–2019) | November 1968 | November 1969 | 1 year | Ghana Army | |
| (7) | Air Marshal Michael Akuoko Otu OSG (1925–2006) | November 1969 | June 1971 | 1 year, 7 months | Ghana Air Force | |
| 9 | Major General Daniel K. Addo | June 1971 | January 1972 | 7 months | Ghana Army | |
| 10 | Air Vice-Marshal Napoleon Yaovi R. Ashley-Lassen (born 1934) | January 1972 | December 1974 | 2 years, 11 months | Ghana Air Force | |
| 11 | Major General Lawrence A. Okai (1934–2017) | December 1974 | November 1976 | 1 year, 11 months | Ghana Army | |
| 12 | Lieutenant General Fred Akuffo (1937–1979) | November 1976 | 5 July 1978 | 1 year, 8 months | Ghana Army | |
| 13 | Major General Robert Kotei (1935–1979) | 5 July 1978 | 23 July 1978 | 18 days | Ghana Army | |
| 14 | Lieutenant General Joshua Hamidu (1936–2021) | 23 July 1978 | 4 June 1979 | 316 days | Ghana Army | |
| 15 | Colonel E. D. F. Prah | 4 June 1979 | 7 July 1979 | 33 days | Ghana Army | |
| 16 | Brigadier Joseph Nunoo-Mensah (born 1939) | 7 July 1979 | 27 November 1979 | 143 days | Ghana Army | |
| 17 | Major General Edwin Kwamina Sam (born 1940) | 27 November 1979 | 6 December 1979 | 9 days | Ghana Army | |
| 18 | Air Vice-Marshal John E. Odaate-Barnor (1937–2012) | 7 December 1979 | 31 December 1981 | 2 years, 24 days | Ghana Air Force | |
| (16) | Brigadier Joseph Nunoo-Mensah (born 1939) | 1 January 1982 | 23 November 1982 | 326 days | Ghana Army | |
| 19 | Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings (1947–2020) | 28 November 1982 | 25 August 1983 | 270 days | Ghana Air Force | |
| 20 | Lieutenant General Arnold Quainoo | 25 August 1983 | 22 September 1989 | 6 years, 28 days | Ghana Army | |
| 21 | Lieutenant General Winston Mensa-Wood (1940–1992) | 4 June 1990 | 21 March 1992 | 1 year, 291 days | Ghana Army | |
| 22 | Air Marshal Achilles Harry Kwami Dumashie (1938–2002) [11] | 22 March 1992 | 1 October 1996 | 4 years, 193 days | Ghana Air Force | |
| 23 | Lieutenant General Ben K. Akafia (born 1940) [12] | 1 October 1996 | February 2001 | 4 years, 4 months | Ghana Army | |
| 24 | Lieutenant General Seth Kofi Obeng (born 1945) | February 2001 | 28 February 2005 | 4 years | Ghana Army | |
| 25 | Lieutenant General Joseph Boateng Danquah (born 1947) | 20 February 2005 | 28 January 2009 | 3 years, 343 days | Ghana Army | |
| – | Rear Admiral A. R. S. Nunoo Acting | 28 January 2009 | 31 March 2009 | 62 days |  Ghana Navy | |
| 26 | Lieutenant General Peter A. Blay [13] | 31 March 2009 | 28 March 2013 | 3 years, 362 days | Ghana Army | |
| 27 | Vice Admiral Matthew Quashie (1951–2020) [14] | 28 March 2013 | 5 January 2016 | 2 years, 283 days | Ghana Navy | |
| 28 | Air Marshal Michael Samson-Oje (born 1954) | 5 January 2016 | 9 February 2017 | 1 year, 35 days | Ghana Air Force | |
| 29 | Lieutenant General Obed Akwa (born 1955) [15] | 9 February 2017 | 5 February 2021 | 3 years, 362 days | Ghana Army | |
| 30 | Vice Admiral Seth Amoama (born 1959) | 5 February 2021 | 31 January 2024 | 3 years, 322 days | Ghana Navy | |
| 31 | Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong-Peprah | 1 February 2024 | Incumbent | 326 days | Ghana Army |
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