Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has defended his decision to appoint his brother, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, as Minister for Defence during his tenure, insisting that the appointment was based on competence rather than familial ties.

In an interview on The Delay Show, Mr Kufuor explained that he was confident in his brother’s ability to manage the Ministry of Defence and maintain strong relations with the Ghana Armed Forces.

“Yes, I appointed my brother (Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor) as the Minister for Defence because I knew he could deliver and have a good relationship with the soldiers,” Mr Kufuor said.

He added that Dr Addo-Kufuor’s leadership contributed to significant infrastructural improvements within the military.

“If you go to the Burma Camp right now, the Burma Hall, which was the central structure at the Camp where major military meetings were held, had at the time collapsed, and we built it and look at the labs that we also built for them.”

The former President emphasised that the decision was guided by the need for efficiency and professionalism in the defence sector.

He highlighted that his brother’s appointment allowed for key projects and reforms to be implemented swiftly, strengthening both morale and operational capacity within the military.

Mr Kufuor said that building modern facilities and laboratories for the Ghana Armed Forces was part of his administration’s broader vision for security sector reform.