The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has dismissed as false and mischievous claims in a viral video alleging that the United Nations (UN) pays US$300 per soldier daily for peacekeeping duties.
Naval Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, Acting Director of the Department of Public Relations, speaking for the Military High Command, said the claims were unfounded and threatened cohesion within the Armed Forces and national security.
She stated that the UN paid an average of US$46 per soldier per day, about US$1,428 per month, a figure that was publicly available and verifiable online.
Naval Capt. Arhin explained that the Government of Ghana paid US$35 a day directly to each peacekeeper, while the remaining US$11 was pooled to support welfare and operational needs before, during and after missions.
“These funds are used to support pre-operational training, logistics, welfare in the mission area, internet services, festive activities, and morale-boosting delegations from home,” she said.
Naval Capt. Arhin said the Government supplemented the UN allowance with additional funding to ensure the safety, comfort and welfare of deployed personnel.
She warned that circulating distorted figures on peacekeeping allowances would provoke disaffection among troops and undermine command authority, stressing that such actions ultimately harmed the country.
“We therefore wish to state emphatically that the purported story of the UN paying anything more than 46 dollars a day is mischievous and must be rejected by all well-meaning Ghanaians,” she said.
Naval Capt. Arhin urged the media to act with responsibility and professionalism, stating that although criticism was healthy in a democracy, freedom of expression also carried obligations to safeguard the national interest.
“Any attempt to undermine the Armed Forces will not benefit anybody. When the Military High Command faces such challenges, the whole country suffers,” she said.
Naval Capt. Arhin said extending service years by five years had increased pressure on existing GAF housing, compounded by new enlistments driven by regional insecurity.
She reiterated the Chief of the Defence Staff’s announcement that the government would begin constructing 700 new accommodation blocks next year, alongside completing stalled military housing projects.
Naval Capt. Arhin said the measures would ease accommodation challenges, though not fully resolve them.
She assured the public of the Armed Forces’ commitment to transparency, personnel welfare and continued collaboration with the media in the interest of national security.
