On April 12th, 2023, Ghana’s Defence Minister and Member of Parliament for Bimbila, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, paid a visit to the King and Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom, Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale (I), at his temporary residence in Damongo. Hon. Nitiwul was accompanied by the Savannah regional minister, Hon. Saeed Muhazu Jibriel, the West Gonja Municipal Chief executive, Hon. Musah Karim Kusubari, the Chief of Army staff, Major Gen. Thomas Oppong Pepra, the commanding officer of the 155 Armoured regiment, Lt. Col. Hoffman Philemon, and other senior officers of the Ghana Armed forces.
During the visit, Hon. Nitiwul expressed his gratitude for the privilege of visiting the king, noting that the Gonja Kingdom is one of the most peaceful kingdoms in Northern Ghana and in Ghana as a whole. He explained that he could not have commissioned an accommodation facility without paying homage and greeting the king as the Father of the area. He further described the king as a partner to the Ministry of Defence and the Ghana Armed forces, which is why the chief of Defence staff established a regiment in Damongo to expand the Ghana Armed forces in terms of men, equipment, and training.
Hon. Nitiwul disclosed that the regiment started with over 100 army officers two years ago, but now has close to 500 officers. He also revealed that they are planning to build the regiment into a battalion, similar to the 6th battalion at Kamina barracks in Tamale. The Defence Minister was in Damongo to commission an accommodation facility for the officers of the 155 armoured regiment, which is part of the Ministry of Defence’s commitment to providing accommodation facilities for the Men and women of the Ghana Armed forces in a barracks form where they can train, discipline and work together.
The Yagbonwura thanked the defence minister and his entourage for paying homage to him and expressed his acceptance of the Defence Minister and his team as they had accepted him as their father. He noted that he is a father of many children in the Gonja Kingdom, some of whom are bad nuts. Therefore, he appealed to the Minister and his men to exercise patience when dealing with his children, especially those who may offend them in any way.
The Savannah regional Minister who led the delegation thanked the King for his patience and continuous support and assured him of their support, pledging never to let him down.
