Chemogoh Kevin Dzang - Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and Navy Commander

Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and Navy Commander

Meanwhile, Commodore P.F. Quaye was transferred from the Army to become the Chief of Naval Staff in 1968. At the end of the exercise, Dzang was selected in 1972, while he was at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington India. On his return he was promoted to the rank of Naval Captain and appointed the substantive Chief of Naval Staff and Navy Commander. Dzang was thus the first Dartmouth-trained Executive Naval Officer to assume substantive Command of the Ghana Navy and as the Chief of Naval Staff.

Quaye had then left the post on terminal leave, while Commander Amedume acted for him pending the arrival of Dzang, the substantive Chief of Naval Staff.

Rear Admiral Hansen had acquired many ships for the Navy while he was CNS. Quaye had also ordered two fast patrol boats, which were under construction by Christof Rutorf in a German shipyard at Mainz Kastel. Many of the vessels in the fleet were now very old and needed refitting. As usual, the necessary funds were not available and so the ships on the inventory were not seaworthy.

The immediate problem confronting the new CNS was to refurbish and refit the ships to make them seaworthy, to efficiently perform the Navy’s role at sea. There was equally a pressing need for serious sea training for all ranks, so that both Officers and Men would rediscover their “sea legs” and love of the sea. Two corvettes, which were in very bad condition, were the first to be sent to Vosper Thorny croft in the United Kingdom for refit. Local refits were also carried out on the Seaward Defence Boats. The Tema Dry Dock and the Naval Ship Yard in Sekondi were upgraded for future local refits. The requisite technical personnel were recruited and trained locally and overseas to meet the daunting task of keeping the small fleet of ships seaworthy. In addition, the new CNS oversaw the completion of the building of the new ships in Germany, and commissioned them into the Fleet as GNS Sahene and GNS Dela. Four more ships designed specifically for the Ghana Navy were also under construction by Luessen Shipyard in Germany. By the time the four ships were delivered, Dzang had left the Navy but the vessels were taken into inventory and commissioned as GNS Achimota, GNS Yogaga, GNS Sibo and GNS Gyata. To date these four vessels from Luessen Shipyard constitute the core of the aging Navy Fleet.

While the Ghana Navy was being revamped under his command, Dzang proceeded to the US Naval War College in Rhode Island in 1974 to broaden his knowledge in naval, military, national and international matters, in order to enhance the efficient discharge of duties as Chief of Naval Staff and the Navy Commander. In his absence, the Chief Staff Officer, Commander George Bedu Addo acted for him. zang resumed duties on his return to Ghana in August 1975. By October 1975, the national political situation demanded that the service Chiefs assumed the added responsibility of running the Government of Ghana as members of the Supreme Military Council (SMC). The National Redemption Council (NRC), which comprised middle rank officers, had run into several difficulties and in a palace reassessment, it was decided that the ultimate authority should emanate from the top of the Military hierarchy. In the event, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Service Commanders of the Army, Navy, Air force, Border Guards and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) were appointed to the Supreme Military Council Government with General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong as the Chairman of the Council and Head of State. The additional responsibility exposed the Service Commanders to domestic and international politics, in addition to the ineluctable enmity and sabotage of Politics.