President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned a 300-bed accommodation facility for young soldiers at the 37 Military Hospital.
The facility, christened Joseph Siaw Agyepong Young Soldiers’ Block, was financed and built by the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC).
Commissioning the facility at a colourful ceremony on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, President Akufo-Addo reiterated his government’s commitment to provide decent accommodation facilities for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
For that reason, he stated that the edifice built at the 37 Military Hospital is named the Joseph Siaw Agyepong Young Soldiers’ Block, after the Executive Chairman and Founder of the Jospong Group of Companies, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong.
According to the President, the project forms part of the Phase 1 and 2 Barracks Regeneration and the Military Housing Projects in 2020 and 2021 respectively, all of which are aimed at providing decent accommodation for the military.
The Defense Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, said one of the major challenges facing GAF was accommodation, and therefore, appealed for assistance.
“Mr. President, since you assumed office, you have paid much attention to our accommodation issues. You started with the cutting of a sod in May 2017, for the Barrack Regeneration Project which saw the construction of 112 units of 2-bedroom flats at the Daula Barracks and 6 Garrison in Tamale,” he stated.
“Furthermore, you initiated the Military Housing Project which saw a monumental increase to the accommodation stock of the Ghana Armed Forces,” said Mr Nitiwul.
In a brief remark, the Executive Chairman of the JGC, Dr Siaw Agyepong, expressed his profound gratitude to the Military High Command for the opportunity to support a worthy cause.
He indicated that his group sees the gesture as an opportunity to contribute their quota through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to an institution as important as the Ghana Army.
“The contribution of the military to the socio-economic development of Ghana cannot be overemphasised and so it is any institution that is linked to their health and wellbeing.
…This is why any contribution to support the smooth running of their major health facility– 37 Military Hospital—will not be overlooked by the JOSPONG GROUP OF COMPANIES,” he averred.
The JGC in a bid to give back to society, he explained, supports institutions whose mission resonates with the corporate mission of JGC as the company’s corporate mission is contributing to saving lives in the society.
According to Dr Siaw Agyepong, his outfit has enjoyed a good collaboration with the Armed Forces as their drivers and Ecozoil staff members have benefitted from the rich expertise from various outlets of the GAF.
“This is indeed my personal admiration for the military for the mark of discipline, professionalism and excellence,” he underscored.
“I am inspired by what I am witnessing here today and this has further re-inforced the company’s resolve to continue to contribute our widow’s might to the 37 Military Hospital in other areas of interest which they wish to embark on,” Dr Siaw Agyepong assured.
Earlier, in a welcome address the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, noted that the 37 Military Hospital being the biggest in the Ghana Armed Forces is confronted with dire accommodation challenges for soldiers within the hospital.
Though he was elated about the increasing number of young soldiers and its positive impact on the services he providing accommodation for them was a huge challenge.
In view of the above, in 2016, he recounted that the then Commander, Brigadier General Ralph Ametepi, with the approval from the General Headquarters, initiated the construction of a 300-capacity young soldiers’ accommodation project from the internally generated funds, but bemoaned that the project stalled at 50% in 2018.
According to him, it was against this backdrop that the Chief of Defense Staff in 2021 appealed to the Jospong Group of Companies to assist the project through its corporate social responsibility.