Chief of Army Staff (Ghana)

Chief of the Army Staff
Chief of the Army Staff
	Incumbent; Major General Bismarck Kwasi Onwona; since 1 February 2024
	Ghana Army
Member of	the Defence Staff
Reports to	Chief of the Defence Staff
Appointer	President of Ghana; in consultation with the Council of State of Ghana
Term length	No fixed length

The Chief of Army Staff is the title of the professional head of the Ghana Army. The head of the Army was formerly referred to as the army commander. The current Chief of Army Staff is Major General Bismarck Kwasi Onwona.^[1] He was appointed to the position by President Akuffo-Addo on 24 January 2024.^[2]

List of Chiefs of Army Staff

No.	Chief of Army Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1	Tadman, D.Brigadier D. H. Tadman as Brigade Commander	?	1959	?	.
2	Paley, AlexanderBrigadier Alexander George Victor Paley (1903–1976) as Army Commander	1959	11 January 1960	0–1 years	.
3	Alexander, HenryMajor General Henry Templer Alexander (1911–1977) as Combined CDS and Army Commander	11 January 1960	December 1961	1 year, 10 months	.
4	Ankrah, JosephBrigadier Joseph Arthur Ankrah (1915–1992)	December 1961	October 1962	10 months	^[3]
5	Otu, StephenMajor general Stephen Otu (1915–1979)	October 1962	July 1965	2 years, 9 months	^[3]
6	Barwah, C.Brigadier C. M. Barwah (?–1966)	July 1965	February 1966 †	7 months	^[3]
7	Ocran, AlbertBrigadier Albert Kwesi Ocran (1929–2019)	February 1966	August 1966	7 months	^[3]
8	Bruce, ClelendMajor general Clelend Cofie Bruce	August 1966	May 1967	8 months	^[3]
(7)	Ocran, AlbertMajor general Albert Kwesi Ocran (1929–2019)	May 1967	November 1968	1 year, 6 months	^[3]
9	Amenu, D.Brigadier D. C. K. Amenu	November 1968	August 1969	9 months	^[3]
10	Addo, DanielMajor General Daniel K. Addo	August 1969	June 1971	1 year, 10 months	^[3]
11	Acquah, J.Brigadier J. R. K. Acquah	June 1971	October 1971	4 months	^[3]
12	Twum-Barimah, H.Brigadier H. D. Twum-Barimah	October 1971	January 1972	3 months	^[3]
13	Erskine, EmmanuelColonel Emmanuel Alexander Erskine (1935–2021)	January 1972	February 1972	1 month	^[3]
14	Asare, D.Brigadier D. A. Asare	February 1972	January 1973	11 months	^[3]
(13)	Erskine, EmmanuelBrigadier Emmanuel Alexander Erskine (1935–2021)	February 1973	April 1974	1 year, 2 months	^[3]
15	Akuffo, FredBrigadier Fred Akuffo (1937–1979)	May 1974	November 1976	2 years, 6 months	^[3]
16	Kotei, RobertMajor general Robert Kotei (1935–1979)	November 1976	July 1978	1 year, 8 months	^[3]
17	Odartey-Wellington, NevilleMajor general Neville Alexander Odartey-Wellington (1934–1979)	July 1978	4 June 1979 †	11 months	^[3]
18	Bruce-Konuah, W.Colonel W. W. Bruce-Konuah (1941–2011)	6 June 1979	July 1979	0 months	^[4]
19	Quainoo, ArnoldBrigadier Arnold Quainoo	July 1979	November 1979	4 months	^[3]
20	Amoah, I.Brigadier I. K. Amoah	November 1979	December 1981	2 years, 1 month	^[3]
(19)	Quainoo, ArnoldMajor general Arnold Quainoo	January 1982	June 1987	5 years, 5 months	^[3]
21	Mensah-Wood, W.Major general W.M. Mensah-Wood	June 1987	June 1990	3 years	^[3]
22	Akafia, BenMajor general Ben Akafia (born 1940)	June 1990	September 1996	6 years, 3 months	^[3]
23	Smith, JosephMajor general Joseph Henry Smith (1945–2023)	October 1996	February 2001	4 years, 4 months	^[3]
24	Yaache, ClaytonMajor general Clayton Yaache	February 2001	20 May 2005	4 years, 3 months	^[3]
25	Odotei, SamuelMajor general Samuel Odotei	20 May 2005	31 March 2009	3 years, 10 months	^[3]
26	Adinkra, JosephMajor general Joseph Narh Adinkra	31 March 2009	4 April 2013	4 years	^[3]^[5]
27	Opoku-Adusei, RichardMajor general Richard Opoku-Adusei	4 April 2013	1 July 2016	3 years, 2 months	^[2]
28	Akwa, ObedMajor general Obed Akwa (born 1955)	1 July 2016	9 February 2017	7 months	^[6]
29	Ayamdo, William AzureMajor General William Azure Ayamdo	9 February 2017	18 February 2020	3 years	.
30	Oppong-Peprah, ThomasMajor General Thomas Oppong-Peprah	18 February 2020	31 January 2024	4 years, 7 months	.
31	Onwona, Bismarck KwasiMajor General Bismarck Kwasi Onwona	18 February 2020	Incumbent	8 months	.

References

^ Army Chief of Staff, Ayamdo is new (9 February 2017). "Ayamdo is new Army Chief of Staff". ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Chief of Army Staff-COAS Profile of Major General Richard Opoku-Adusei". Ghana Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y CoAS, Past. "Past Chiefs of the Army Staff". gafonline.mil.gh. Ghana Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
^ "Ghana News, Volumes 8". Ghana News. Washington, D.C. : Embassy of Ghana: 3. 1979.
^ "Chief of Army Staff-COAS". Ghana Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
^ Online, Myjoy. "President appoints new Chief of Army Staff". www.myjoyonline.com. Multimedia Group. Retrieved 2 June 2017.