The Engineer Training School (ETS) of the 48 Engineer Regiment has inaugurated a 128-bed accommodation block, along with a woodwork and equipment centre and a 30-seater Mitsubishi bus.
The housing facility, which costs GH¢4.3million, was fully funded by the German Government through the German Armed Forces Technical Advisory Group (GAFTAG) as part of its Equipment Aid Programme to support security services in Africa.
Mr Dominic Nitiwul, the Minister of Defence, who was the Guest of Honour, lauded the German Government for its immense support to the school for the past 28 years.
“This is as a result of bi-lateral relations that commenced in 2002 between the Ghana Armed Forces and the German Government (German Armed Forces) with the aim of providing logistical and constructional support for our peace keeping efforts, especially in the ECOWAS sub-region,” he said.
The Minister said Ghana was grateful for the continuous support and expressed the hope that the cooperation would continue to enable the school attain an admirable status.
“It is my fervent wish that the school will further upgrade its status and obtain more accreditation’s for more technical courses,” the Minister said.
He pledged his support in ensuring that the dream was realised through advice, learning materials, and infrastructural development such as appropriate workshops with state of the art tools and equipment.
Mr Christopher Retzalaff, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ghana, said the facilities symbolized the strong partnership and collaboration between Germany and Ghana, which had been strengthened over the years.
He said Ghana would be a major beneficiary of projects proposed by the German Parliament to be implemented in Africa.
Colonel Nunoo, the Commanding Officer of the Engineer Training School, said prior to commissioning the accommodation facility, the school had only a 30-bed accommodation housing students.
He said the school provided technical training in combat and constructional engineering to all ranks and civilian employees.
“The school has turned out many personnel over the years who continued to contribute their technical skills and knowledge acquired from the school to the benefit of the Ghana Armed Forces and on various UN peacekeeping missions.”
The construction of the facility began on July 10, 2018 and completed on January 8, 2020.
It consists of 16 rooms, industrial kitchen, dining hall, drain-water facility and a five-thousand kilogram industrial gas cylinder, among other things.
