Former Chief of Defence Staff and National Security Advisor retired Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah at a press conference organised by the Ghana Today Coalition at the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) headquarters has expressed deep concern about the possible effects of the country’s rising hunger and poverty.
General Nunoo-Mensah, a highly respected figure in Ghana’s military and security community, highlighted the global context of these concerns, stating, “Looking at what is going on around the world, what I fear might happen. There might be spontaneous uprising out of hunger and poverty, not the army.” He emphasized the need for immediate attention to address the growing issues of hunger and poverty that could potentially ignite public unrest.
The retired General went on to assert that the military could be controlled and expressed his confidence that a coup d’état was not a viable solution. He emphasized that Ghana’s soldiers were not inclined to run the country amidst the ongoing challenges.
Instead, he urged the government to focus on addressing the root causes of public dissatisfaction, particularly in areas such as Nima and Mamobi. General Nunoo-Mensah passionately stated, “I don’t fear coup d’état; the soldiers are not mad to run Ghana in this mess. But the people that are hungry, for instance, looking at Galamsey.”
In a proactive approach to tackling these issues, General Nunoo-Mensah expressed his willingness to contribute to the nation’s development. He revealed his intention to propose to President Nana Akufo Addo the appointment of a special aide on agriculture.
He believed that agriculture held the key to Ghana’s future and that solutions such as encouraging the widespread cultivation of crops like bananas could help combat hunger and poverty.
