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| Biography of Air Marshall Otu |
1/13/2007 |
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Accra, Jan. 12, GNA - The late Air Marshall Michael Akuoko Otu, a Former Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) was born on October 25, 1925 at Adukrom in the Eastern Region to Mr Ashong Kwame, a herbalist and Madam Ama Tiekubea, a trader.
He received his early education at the Roman Catholic Senior School at Ashanti Bekwai. After school, he enrolled at the Akropong Teacher Training College, but after six months, in 1943, he left to join the Gold Coast Regiment.
The Late Air Marshall Otu was recruited into the Gold Coast Regiment as a clerk on February 6, 1943 in the heat of the Second World War. Starting as a private soldier, he attained the rank of Company Sergeant Major and was awarded the 1939 - 1945 War Medal for his meritorious service during WWII.
He was affected by the mass demobilisation that took place in June 1946 after the War. But having developed a keen interest in the Military, Air Marshall Otu enlisted in the then Gold Coast Regiment in early 1953.
Following a rigorous selection procedure, he was sent overseas in April 1953 where he underwent Officer Cadet Training at Eaton Hall, United Kingdom.
He successfully completed the Cadet training and was commissioned as an Officer of the Gold Coast Regiment on August 22, 1953, almost four years prior to the independence of Ghana in 1957.
As a young officer, he served with the British Army on Rhine in Germany in various units such as the 1st Battalion of the South Wales Borderers and the Third Army Workshop of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers between September 1953 and February 1954. During his career, Air Marshall Otu attended several courses including the Senior Staff Course at the Staff College, Camberley, United Kingdom in 1961.
In July 1963, Air Marshall Out, who was then a Colonel and a General Staff Officer Grade One at the Ministry of Defence, was nominated to replace the first Ghanaian Chief of Air Staff-Air Commodore de Graft-Hayford.
Although he initially hesitated joining and heading the Air Force- being a thorough-bred army officer- he eventually accepted the challenge thus before the end of 1963 became Group Captain Otu of the Ghana Air Force.
He went through flying training and qualified to wear the pilot''s wings after having obtained the requisite flying hours on the Chipmunk and Beaver aircraft.
Significantly, he was awarded his wings by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the First President of Ghana. He commanded the Air Force from July 1963 to February 1968 gaining promotion to the Air Vice-Marshall rank.
On March 1, 1968, he was appointed General Officer Commanding, now Chief of Defence Staff and promoted to the rank of Air Marshall. The late Air Marshall Otu after serving in the military for 28 years was released from service on December 14, 1971. He was one of the few generals, who served in both the Gold Coast Regiment and the Ghana Armed Forces through the transitional period of colonial rule to independence. Air Marshall Otu served in the Army, the Air Force and for a brief period in his career also acted as the Chief of Naval Staff. He was the first from the Ghana Air Force to become a Chief of Defence Staff. In recognition of his service to the nation, he was awarded the Order of the Star of Ghana in July 2006.Source:
GNA
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