Soldiers Are Protectors, Not Governors –  Former Deputy Defence Minister Affirms

Former Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North and ex-Deputy Defence Minister, Major Derrick Oduro, has emphatically stated that the military’s role is to protect, not to govern. He likened involving soldiers in political roles to trying to fit square pegs into round holes.

“Politics is not the work of soldiers, their duty is protection. It is like putting square pegs in round holes.”

In a recent interview on Opemsuo Radio’s Nkwantannanso with Kofi Boakye on September 20, he elaborated that while there might be some short-term progress in developmental projects under military rule due to fear-induced compliance, it inevitably leads to a lack of long-term economic planning and sustainable development.

To illustrate his argument, he drew parallels with international organizations imposing sanctions that hinder trade between nations, emphasizing how such actions act as obstacles to development.

Major Derick Oduro’s comments align with the sentiments expressed by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the St Andrews African Summit in Scotland on September 16, where the Asantehene strongly condemned the recurring military takeovers in Africa, asserting that military intervention is no longer a viable solution for the continent’s challenges.

“Let me make it categorically clear that regardless of the circumstances, I do not think that military intervention offers a solution at this point in the evolution of our Continent. There was a time when circumstances produced the notion that power flew out of the barrel of a gun. Those times are over and we face completely different circumstances now.”

Story by Adwoa S. Danso