# Chief of Army Staff (Ghana)

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 Lieutenant General Bismarck Kwasi Onwona. He was appointed to the position by President Akuffo-Addo on 24 January 2024.

## 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 | |
| 5 | Otu, StephenMajor general Stephen Otu (1915–1979) | October 1962 | July 1965 | 2 years, 9 months | |
| 6 | Barwah, C.Brigadier C. M. Barwah (?–1966) | July 1965 | February 1966 † | 7 months | |
| 7 | Ocran, AlbertBrigadier Albert Kwesi Ocran (1929–2019) | February 1966 | August 1966 | 7 months | |
| 8 | Bruce, ClelendMajor general Clelend Cofie Bruce | August 1966 | May 1967 | 8 months | |
| (7) | Ocran, AlbertMajor general Albert Kwesi Ocran (1929–2019) | May 1967 | November 1968 | 1 year, 6 months | |
| 9 | Amenu, D.Brigadier D. C. K. Amenu | November 1968 | August 1969 | 9 months | |
| 10 | Addo, DanielMajor General Daniel K. Addo | August 1969 | June 1971 | 1 year, 10 months | |
| 11 | Acquah, J.Brigadier J. R. K. Acquah | June 1971 | October 1971 | 4 months | |
| 12 | Twum-Barimah, H.Brigadier H. D. Twum-Barimah | October 1971 | January 1972 | 3 months | |
| 13 | Erskine, EmmanuelColonel Emmanuel Alexander Erskine (1935–2021) | January 1972 | February 1972 | 1 month | |
| 14 | Asare, D.Brigadier D. A. Asare | February 1972 | January 1973 | 11 months | |
| (13) | Erskine, EmmanuelBrigadier Emmanuel Alexander Erskine (1935–2021) | February 1973 | April 1974 | 1 year, 2 months | |
| 15 | Akuffo, FredBrigadier Fred Akuffo (1937–1979) | May 1974 | November 1976 | 2 years, 6 months | |
| 16 | Kotei, RobertMajor general Robert Kotei (1935–1979) | November 1976 | July 1978 | 1 year, 8 months | |
| 17 | Odartey-Wellington, NevilleMajor general Neville Alexander Odartey-Wellington (1934–1979) | July 1978 | 4 June 1979 † | 11 months | |
| 18 | Bruce-Konuah, W.Colonel W. W. Bruce-Konuah (1941–2011) | 6 June 1979 | July 1979 | 0 months | |
| 19 | Quainoo, ArnoldBrigadier Arnold Quainoo | July 1979 | November 1979 | 4 months | |
| 20 | Amoah, I.Brigadier I. K. Amoah | November 1979 | December 1981 | 2 years, 1 month | |
| (19) | Quainoo, ArnoldMajor general Arnold Quainoo | January 1982 | June 1987 | 5 years, 5 months | |
| 21 | Mensah-Wood, W.Major general W.M. Mensah-Wood | June 1987 | June 1990 | 3 years | |
| 22 | Akafia, BenMajor general Ben Akafia (born 1940) | June 1990 | September 1996 | 6 years, 3 months | |
| 23 | Smith, JosephMajor general Joseph Henry Smith (1945–2023) | October 1996 | February 2001 | 4 years, 4 months | |
| 24 | Yaache, ClaytonMajor general Clayton Yaache | February 2001 | 20 May 2005 | 4 years, 3 months | |
| 25 | Odotei, SamuelMajor general Samuel Odotei | 20 May 2005 | 31 March 2009 | 3 years, 10 months | |
| 26 | Adinkra, JosephMajor general Joseph Narh Adinkra | 31 March 2009 | 4 April 2013 | 4 years | |
| 27 | Opoku-Adusei, RichardMajor general Richard Opoku-Adusei | 4 April 2013 | 1 July 2016 | 3 years, 2 months | |
| 28 | Akwa, ObedMajor general Obed Akwa (born 1955) | 1 July 2016 | 9 February 2017 | 7 months | |
| 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, 10 months | . |
| 31 | Onwona, Bismarck KwasiLieutenant General Bismarck Kwasi Onwona | 18 February 2020 | Incumbent | 11 months | . |