President Akufo-Addo appoints new ADC

President Akufo-Addo and his new ADC

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appointed Colonel Isaac Amponsah as his new Aide-De-Camp (ADC).

Col. Isaac Amponsah replaces Major-General Bismark Onuonah who has been assigned to the Army Headquarters as Commandant of the Training and Doctrine Command at the Ghana Armed Forces.

He was ADC for six years until his promotion to the rank of Major-General.

The new ADC, Colonel Isaac Amponsah until his appointment was the Chief Instructor at the Military Training Academy and served at the Defense Intelligence Unit at the General Headquarters.

Born in Kumasi, Colonel Isaac Amponsah is married with two children.

Below is his profile

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Name of Employer Appointments Held Dates Duties/Responsibilities
Ghana Armed Forces Chief G2 (Intelligence) Ghana Army Headquarters August 2022 to present. 1. Responsible for the collection, collation, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of intelligence and/or information to higher Headquarters and Ghana Army commands and units.

 

2. Conduct security threat analysis and update the Chief of Army Staff on both internal and external threats to national security.

 

3. Investigate security breaches and weaknesses in the Ghana Army and notify the Chief of Army Staff for remedial action.

 

4. Supervision and training of the Intelligence staff of the Ghana Army.

Ghana Armed Forces Director Operational Intelligence, Department of Defence Intelligence, General Headquarters, Ghana Armed Forces November 2017 to August 2022 1. Maintained a current Intelligence Estimate of the national security situation.

2. Identified requirements for reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition.

3. I successfully directed and supervised Defence Intelligence informant to secretly record the activities of Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm and his accomplices aimed at overthrowing the NPP Government from June 2018 till they were arrested in September 2019. Having meticulously collated and analysed all the audio and video exhibits of the coup plot, I was called as the first prosecution witness in the trial of the coup plotters.

4. I exercised command and control of all intelligence operatives of the Department of Defence Intelligence.

Command Operations Officer, Southern Command, Ghana Army. Mar 2017 to November 2017 1. Planned and coordinated all operations conducted by the Ghana Army units under Southern Command.

2. Prepared operational plans and orders to all units within the Southern Command.

3. Maintained direct oversight responsibility of all operational matters of the units under the Southern Command.

4. Ensured regular update of contingency plans of the units under the Command.

5. Maintained accurate data on all operational activities conducted by the Command.

Deputy Director Army Operations, Ghana Army Headquarters. Sep 2012 to Jan-2013 1. Liaised with all Departments at the Army Headquarters and coordinated their inputs to the formulation of Ghana Armed Forces Operational, Training and Logistics (OPTRALOG) policies and directives.

2. Conducted threat assessments and made recommendations for the acquisition of operational equipment to enhance the operational efficiency of units in the Ghana Army.

3. Maintained day to day contacts with all Ghana Army units, consolidated Situation Reports (SITREP) from the units and ensured the timely submission of daily situation reports and incident reports to the General Headquarters.

4. Assisted the Director Army Operations in the formulation and dissemination of operational policies for the Ghana Army.

5. Contributed to the formulation of Ghana Army operational plans and the communication of operational matters to the General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces and subordinate Headquarters.

6. Carried out operational assessment of current operations and reviewed operational procedures.

7. Assisted the Director Army Operations in the conduct of pre-operations estimates, conduct of current operations, writing and dissemination of operational orders and instructions, Army security and review of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

8. Ensured safe custody and maintenance of accurate record on all weapons, ammunition, vehicles and other operational

equipment.

9. Prepared operational briefings and delivered formal presentations on Ghana Army operations.

Deputy Command Operations Officer, Northern Command. November 2011 to September 2012 1. Monitored the political and socio-economic issues in Ghana and assessed their impacts on security, especially in the northern sector of the country.

2. Maintained day to day contacts with all Army units in the Northern Sector to ensure regular updates on all military

operations conducted in the Northern Sector.

3. Prepared and submitted operational reports and daily Situation Reports (SITREP) on all operations conducted by units in the Northern Command to Higher Headquarters.

4. Liaised with the Police and other security agencies in the Northern Sector and provided military inputs to the

formulation of operational plans for Internal Security (IS) operations.

5. Drafted operational plans/orders for military operations in the Northern Sector of Ghana.

6. Conducted periodic review of operational estimates and contingency plans for military operations in the Northern Sector of Ghana.

7. Conducted threat assessments of Areas of Operations (AO) and developed appropriate contingency plans to address identified threats.

8. In collaboration with other staff officers, conducted Operational Readiness Inspections (ORI) of units in the Northern Sector to review their operational readiness and recommended equipment and capabilities required to improve their operational efficiency.

9. Assessed current operations and advised the General Officer Commanding on current and future operational matters.

Military Assistant to the ECOWAS Special Envoy to Liberia September 2011 to November 2011 1. Monitored the political and socio-economic developments in Liberia and analysed their implications on the conduct of the 2011 Liberia elections and prepared contingency plans.

2. Conducted analyses of information from varied sources relating to the political and security situation in Liberia and drafted weekly reports for submission to ECOWAS Secretariat.

3. Liaised with the major stakeholders in the 2011 Liberia national elections (ie Presidential candidates and their party

representatives, senior staff members of UNMIL, Officials of the Liberia Elections Commission, various civil society

organisations, some heads of missions in Liberia and NGOs) and arranged all meetings between the ECOWAS Special Envoy and the stakeholders.

4. Prepared briefing notes and talking points for the ECOWAS Special Envoy prior to meeting the stakeholders in the 2011 Liberia presidential elections.

5. Prepared and regularly updated briefing notes for the ECOWAS Special Envoy which enabled him to brief the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission and other ECOWAS eminent persons prior to their engagements with the major stakeholders in the 2011 Liberia elections.

6. Prepared post elections report which included among other things lessons learnt and recommendations for the ECOWAS Secretariat.

Course

Commander/Acting Chief Training Officer, Ghana Military Academy

February 2006 to September 2011 1. Produced weekly training programmes for officer cadets’ training.

2. Prepared annual training budget and ensured timely submission of training reports.

3. Liaised and coordinated training activities with other training institutions which played various roles in the training of officer cadets.

4. Coordinated administrative and logistical support for all training programmes.

5. Taught Officer Cadets military planning concepts and tactics.

6. Planned and organized field training exercises for officer cadets.

7. Carried out evaluation of field training exercises and collated lessons learnt to help improve future exercises.

8. Assessed and evaluated students’ performance and made recommendations for their future employment in the Ghana Armed Forces.

Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the Chief of the Defence Staff, Ghana Armed Forces January 2002 to June 2005 1. Accompanied the CDS to all official functions and meetings.

2. Liaised with relevant staff officers and facilitated all his foreign travels and accompanied him to many international

seminars and conferences.

3. Ensured the prioritization and regular review of the CDS’ weekly events schedule.

4. Monitored progress of tasks assigned to staff officers and reminded the CDS of deadlines for completion of such tasks.

5. Drafted letters and other correspondence as directed by the CDS

Instructor/General Staff Officer III, Jungle Warfare School, Akyem Akyiase August 1997 to September 1998 1. Instructed officers and other ranks in various subjects related to Internal Security (IS), Counter Insurgency (COIN) operations and peacekeeping technics and concepts.

2. Assessed and evaluated the performance of students and submitted final reports on each student at the end of the course.

3. Planned and organized field training exercises for students and collated lessons learnt after each exercise to help improve subsequent exercises.

4. Carried out review of training materials and teaching aids to bring them up to date with current teaching.

5. Organised, supervised and coordinated training and submitted training reports at the end of each course and made recommendations for the improvement of subsequent courses.

Platoon Commander (Op GONGONG) Apr 1996 to Aug 1997 1. Command and control of an independent platoon deployed to assist the civil authorities to maintain law and order in Salaga District in the Northern Region of Ghana.

2.  Constantly patrolled and conducted liaison with the local community leaders to prevent human rights violations and prevented inter-tribal tensions from escalating to armed conflicts.

3. Liaised with the other members of the District Security Committee (DISEC) and coordinated the formulation of contingency plans for the maintenance of law and order in the District.

4. My commitment to ensuring a free and fair elections during the 1996 presidential and parliamentary elections led to a confrontation between myself and the then National Secretary of the NDC, Alhaji Baba Camara at Salaga, resulting in my posting from the 6th Battalion to the Jungle Warfare School in Akyem Akyease in 1997.

PEACEKEEPING EXPERIENCE

Mission Appointment Dates Duties/Responsibilities
United Nations Secretariat, New York Military Liaison Officer 14 Oct 2015 to 02 Mar 2017 1. Received daily military situation reports from the field missions, summarized the key points and ensured timely dissemination of same to the Integrated Operational Team (IOT) leadership and other members of the IOT.

2. Maintained day-to-day contact with the military counterparts in field mission(s), in order to follow and report on developments of military matters.

3. Assisted in the development and integration of military requirements for missions, including the development of military concept of operations and strategic and operational plans.

4. Prepared expert military advice on operational matters for the peacekeeping missions and coordinated issues concerning

the troop-contributing-countries with the Office of Military Affairs, the Department of Field Support and other offices of the

Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

5. Prepared and analysed periodic management reports, technical reports, briefings and delivered informal and formal

presentations.

United Nations Secretariat, New York Planning Officer 3 Mar 2014 to

13 Oct 2015

1. Prepared military plans for new and ongoing peacekeeping missions.

2. Assisted in the development of support plans for new and ongoing missions.

3. Planned the organization, equipment and capabilities for the military forces, units and headquarters required for field missions.

4. Conducted necessary coordination required in performing military planning at the United Nations Secretariat.

5. Provided military advice on strategic and operational matters.

6. Maintained links for military planning purposes with relevant inter-governmental, governmental, Non-governmental and private organizations.

UNOCI (Cote d’Ivoire) Force Provost Marshal Jan 2013 to Jan-2014 1. Investigated all complaints involving violations of human rights by UNOCI military personnel.

2. Conducted special investigations into allegations of misconduct amongst military personnel of ONUCI and advised the Force Commander on personnel discipline and comportment.

3. Liaised with the host nation’s military, police force and gendarmerie on matters affecting the military component of UNOCI.

4. Coordinated with the Force Legal Advisor, UNOCI Security, Special Investigation Unit (SIU), Board of Inquiry Office and Personnel Branch on matters requiring the convening of Board of Inquiry (BOI).

5. Planned and drafted the Force Commander’s directives for the maintenance of discipline and enforcement of UNOCI regulations.

6. Notified the Force Commander immediately of breaches of discipline which might affect UNOCI Mandate and relationship with the local population.

7. Ensured the enforcement of UNOCI directives and policies relating to military personnel.

MONUSCO (DR Congo) Deputy Commanding Officer/Chief

Operations Officer, Ghana Battalion,

Jul 2010 to Feb 2011 1. In coordination with UN Security, continuously appraised the UN evacuation plan for UN personnel in Kinshasa, including regular assessment of evacuation routes, assembly points and resources.

2. Assessed the security threats to UN installations in Kinshasa, formulated security plans and deployed troops for their protection.

3. Analysed threats to civilians in the Battalion’s Area of Operational Responsibility (AOR) and formulated appropriate strategies for the protection of civilians.

4. Planned and conducted in mission training for personnel of the Ghanaian Contingent to improve their operational

readiness and efficiency.

5. Planned and coordinated all patrol activities of the Battalion, briefed and de-briefed patrol members and ensured timely submission of operational reports to the Force Headquarters.

6. Formulated operational orders, contingency plans and Fragmentary Orders (FRAGOs) for the Ghana Battalion.

7. Prepared and organized briefing for VIPs visiting the Battalion Headquarters.

UNIOSIL (Sierra Leone) Military Liaison Officer Jun 2006 to Nov 2007 1. Conducted liaison with senior staff members of the Republic of Sierra Leone  Ministry of Defence and the Office of National Security (ONS) on all matters within the scope of UNIOSIL Mandate.

2. Represented UNIOSIL at all meetings held at the Ministry of Defence and ONS.

3. In collaboration with the other members of the Military Liaison Team (MLT) monitored and assessed the security situation in Sierra Leone and made inputs to the Executive Representative of the Secretary General’s (ERSG) reports.

4. Assessed security threats in the Republic of Sierra Leone and made inputs to the Security Management Team’s (SMT) reports and prepared security briefs for members of the UN Country Team.

5. Assisted in the orientation training for new arrivals to the mission area.

6. I represented UNIOSIL at the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) at the Office of National Security of the Republic of Sierra Leone and made significant contribution to the Security Sector Reforms and the implementation of a new security architecture in Sierra Leone. This included developing plans for capacity building of the security sector in Sierra Leone.

UNIFIL (Lebanon) Administrative Officer Mar 2001 to Sep 2001 1. Ensured the efficient administration of all personnel in the Force Mobile Reserve (FMR).

2. Planned and rehearsed personnel on various alarm schemes and contingency plans for the defence of the Camp and safety of personnel.

3. Supervised the orderly room staff and ensured timely submission of all reports and returns to UNIFIL Headquarters.

4. Working as a team with the other administrative support staff, planned and organized recreational activities for personnel in the Camp.

5. Supervised the performance of the local civilian staff employed in the Camp and submitted their performance appraisal to UNIFIL Headquarters.

UNIFIL (Lebanon) Platoon Commander Sep 1998 to Feb-1999 1. Carried out military operations to prevent the movement of arms in an allotted area of operation (AL Sutanuya).

2. Conducted foot and mobile patrols to dominate the Area of Operation (AO).

3. Mounted check points to prevent the movement of weapons by Armed Elements (AEs) within my Area of Operational Responsibility.

4. Exercised command, control and administration of troops and management of UN resources under my command to help achieve UNIFIL mandate in my sector.

5. Formulated information collection plan and ensured timely submission of information to the Battalion Headquarters.

6. Protected civilians in my Area of Operation (AO) and reported any incident that would impede the achievement of UNIFIL Mandate.

7. Trained troops under my command to enhance their operational alertness and efficiency.

EDUCATION

Civil Qualifications
Name of Institution Dates Degree/Certificate
University of Ghana (LECIAD) Oct 2008 Jun 2011 Master of Arts (International Affairs)
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Nov 1990 to Aug 1993 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Geography, Sociology
Opoku Ware School, Kumasi. Oct 1987 to Jun 1989 Advanced Level Certificate
Opoku ware School, Kumasi. Sep 1982 to Jun 1987 Ordinary Level Certificate
Military Courses
Name of Institution Dates Course of Study/Certificate Awarded
College of International Security Affairs, National Defence University, Washington DC, USA June 2021 – June 2022 1. Master of Arts in Strategic Security Studies (Distinction).

 

2. War College Diploma

Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping

Training Centre.

05 Oct 2009 to

16 Oct 2009

Joint Campaign Planning
22 Jun 2009 to

03 Jul 2009

Integrated Peace Support Operations

(IPSO) Course.

GAFCSC and Cranfield University 1 Jun 2009 to

19 Jun 2009

Conflict and Crisis Management Course
11 May 2009 to

22 May 2009

Defence Management
Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff

College (GAFCSC)

29 Aug 2008 to

14 Aug 2009

Staff College (Seniour Division)
Ghana Army Combat Training School

(ACTS)

25 Jan 2008 to

16 May 2008

Combat Team Commanders’

Course.

Commandement de la Formation de l’Armée de Terre, MOD, France 10 Sep 2005 to

23 Jan 2006

LE CERTIFICAT MILITAIRE DE LANGUE

FRANÇAISE DU DEUXIEME DEGRÉ

Ecole d’Etat Major, Compiègne, France. 10 Jun 2005 to

10 Feb 2006

DIPLOME D’ETAT MAJOR

(Junior Staff Course)

The Forces Pay Corps Technical Training 19 Jun 2000 to

28 Jul 2000

Public and Non Public Funds Accounting

and Audit.

Jungle Warfare School 18 Jan 1998 to

13 Mar 1998

Jungle Instructors/Experts Course
Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK 03 May 1995 to

12 Apr-1996

Officer Cadet Training