The ministry has had a succession of ministers since independence starting with the Governor - General.
[1] During the years of military rule, the official in charge of the Ministry of Defence was often the Head of state.
A. Afrifa were in charge of the Ministry during the National Liberation Council era between 1966 and 1969.
The Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) military government appointed civilian ministers to head the ministry.
He was the Minister of Defence for the last seven years of the military rule of the PNDC from 1985 to January 1993.