How Nitiwul and others spent $8.8m on 53-year-old military vehicles from Azerbaijan scrapyard – Report

The vehicles, now 53 years old, have been described by this paper’s military insiders as “death traps.” These vehicles are reportedly non-functional and pose a serious risk to the lives of Ghanaian soldiers serving in the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in Sudan.

The vehicle’s firing posts are said to be inoperable. Each vehicle allegedly cost $440,000, bringing the total expenditure to $8.8 million. They were supplied by Messrs Double ST Limited and sourced from Azerbaijan.

The armoured vehicles in question are BTR-70 8×8 Wheeled Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), originally manufactured in 1972 in the former Soviet Union.

Technical reports indicate that the APCs suffer from significant mechanical defects, including oil and lubricant leakages that cause engines to overheat after minimal use, malfunctioning brake and clutch systems, unserviceable rear camera monitors, and the absence of intra-and inter-vehicular communication devices. These deficiencies make effective communication within the vehicles, between vehicles, or with base command impossible.

Furthermore, visibility is compromised due to blurred vision blocks and missing or damaged side mirrors on several units. The vehicles were reportedly acquired from a scrapyard in Azerbaijan, where they had been abandoned due to their age and disuse.

Under the administration of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Ghanaian military allegedly procured these obsolete units. According to sources within the Armed Forces, the APCs are entirely unsuitable for any military operation and present a grave danger to the personnel expected to operate them.

Soldiers who spoke to The Herald described the vehicles as liabilities. They revealed that several units deployed to Sudan as part of Ghana’s peacekeeping contribution were also deemed unfit for use by the United Nations.

Many vehicles lie idle at Burma Camp, where the Reconnaissance Regiment (Recce Regt) is stationed. Insiders disclosed that the vehicles arrived in Ghana immobile and had to be transported to Burma Camp on flatbed trucks. Although some refurbishment efforts were made, most of the APCs remain non-operational.

The seats were also found to be shredded, highlighting the poor condition of the equipment. The few functional vehicles that were made were deployed to Sudan, but feedback from the UN mission indicated that they could not be used effectively for their intended purpose. Currently, only one is operational, but its movement is wobbly.

The Herald understands that the purchase was made during the tenure of Defence minister Dominic Nitiwul and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Vice Admiral Seth Amoama. However, sources allege that the procurement was heavily influenced by Major General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, who served as Army Commander then and eventually became CDS.

He is reported to have personally travelled to Azerbaijan with the suppliers to inspect and finalise the deal.

The acquisition of the discarded APCs, which allegedly cost the state millions of dollars, is now being regarded as a catastrophic misuse of public funds and a potentially deadly threat to Ghanaian troops.

The Herald has further gathered that United Nations officials are also aware of the situation.