The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has reiterated the call that terrorism remains an imminent threat to Ghana and other African countries.
Dr Bawumia said the recent attacks in Burkina Faso, Togo, and Ivory Coast have highlighted the determination of the terrorists to expand beyond sub-Saharan countries, where the insurgency had devastated thousands of lives and property in the last decade.
He made this statement at his keynote address delivered at the joint graduation ceremony of Senior Command and Staff Course 43 and Master of Science in Defence and International Politics (MDIP) 2022, of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) in Accra.
Vice President Bawumia said the fight against terrorism is a collective responsibility for all citizens and everyone should support efforts by the government to combat it.
In a bid to involve every citizen in the fight against terrorism, Dr Bawumia said, Ghana launched a campaign dubbed: “See Something, Say Something” spearheaded by the Ministry of National Security, to create public awareness and sensitize the citizens on issues of public safety and security.
“The campaign would provide further education and highlight the challenges in the sub-region regarding terrorism and other activities that threaten the security of the country,” he said.
The Vice President, therefore, encouraged the graduands to be active participants and help educate the people in their communities on the threat of terrorism and its preventive measures.
He called on the Control Board of the college to develop modules on the ongoing digitalisation awareness and cyber security issues.
He said the military and technology were inseparable, and, therefore, opportunities for deepening knowledge of that domain for the benefit of humanity should not be overlooked.
“As was revealed in the commandant’s report, the college’s programmes are highly patronised and need to serve as a motivation to the Ghana Armed Forces to explore and tap into other areas of study that are necessary for the socio-economic development of our dear nation,” he added.
The Vice-President, therefore, urged the military high command and the staff college control board to leverage their status and prominence to work towards sustaining the gains already achieved and possibly venture into other untapped areas where the military had a comparative advantage.
This year’s event is made of students from Ghana and other 11 African countries, including Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cote d’ Ivoire, Guinea and Nigeria — graduated. Good
He advised the graduates to make it a duty to ensure that their output in future deployments reflected the high standards.
“You are further charged to go out as torchbearers and worthy ambassadors of the college. You will be expected to exhibit exemplary leadership qualities, exceptional communication skills and appreciable knowledge of the military and global issues.
“I urge you to maintain a high standard of discipline and professionalism in your respective armed forces and other institutions to enhance the civilian-military relationships,” he stressed.
He also commended the graduating class of the MDIP course and said security and developmental issues, which formed a significant aspect of their respective course packages, required multi-agency collaboration and varied skills and capabilities.
He further urged the graduands of the MDIP class to stay in touch with their military counterparts to exchange knowledge and skills.
Strategic Plan
Dr Bawumia said the five-year strategic plan of the college was forward-looking and expressed optimism that it would achieve the key objective of clearing the backlog of officers due for command and staff training and then make room to accommodate increased intake at the Ghana Military Academy.
In all, 85 graduands who pursued an eleven-month intensive academic work in Senior Staff Course 43 and a MDIP received their certificates and awards.
Fifty-nine were from the Ghana Armed Forces and 26 from the other 11 African countries.
Major Raymond Owusu-Ababio of the Ghana Army won the Honour Graduate Award for the Senior Command and Staff Course, while Rebecca Osei-Fordjour from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration emerged as the Overall Best Student in the MDIP class.