The government is to secure six additional aircraft for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) by the end of 2012. It would also repair the existing four aircraft of the GAF and provide the GAF with logistics. The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, who announced this Friday, said the move was to support the GAF to protect the sovereignty of Ghana in the face of the oil find and the political crisis in Ivory Coast. He was speaking at the West African Security Services Association (WASSA) celebrations of the GAF at the Burma Camp in Accra. Prizes were given to retired army officers and civilian employees, as well as winners of the Chief of Defence Staff Essay Competition. Present were the Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Joseph Henry Smith, the National Security Advisor, Brigadier Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, Chief of Defence Staff Lt. Gen. Peter Blay amongst others. Mr Mahama, who is also the chairman of the Armed Forces Council, commended the GAF for their achievements in peacekeeping, which have boosted the country’s image abroad. “Government is satisfied and proud of their achievements in international peacekeeping operations and it has given a positive image of the country," he stressed. Mr Mahama also lauded the GAF for liaising with the police to embark on night patrols, which have led to the reduction of armed robbery in the country. Besides, he said, the military’s presence in Bawku had helped restore peace in that area. "There has been overall improvement in the performance of the Ghana Armed Forces. They guarantee us a stable environment which is conducive for development," he said, and attracted thunderous applause from the military officers. Mr Mahama condemned the isolated skirmishes between the military and the police and stressed the need for the two institutions to maintain good relations, since they are both in the security service. He again asked the military to promote their relations with the civilian population. On the Single Spine Salary Policy, Mr Mahama said the government was working to correct the imbalances in the implementation. He said with the start of the national housing project, the accommodation situation of all security agencies, including the military, would be improved. Earlier, Mr Mahama attended a Christian education and leadership conference in Accra organised by the Emmanuel University College School of Divinity and Christian Leadership, and charged Christians to train priests who would practise what they preached. Source: Daily Graphic/Ghana