Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia has charged members of the 2018/19 graduation class of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, to ensure that they use all the knowledge and skills they have acquired over the period of their study effectively for the benefit of their respective countries.
Delivering the Special Guest of Honour’s address at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College’s (GAFCSC) Joint Graduation Ceremony of the Senior Division Course 40 and Msc, Defence and International Politics, held at the Otu Barracks, Teshie, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia said the officers and civilians drawn from about seven (7) countries in Africa, who have had the opportunity to study at the college must remain worthy ambassadors of the College as they return to their countries.
“Let the knowledge you have gained here manifest in your work places and in your life endeavours. Be very diligent and let the tenets of loyalty, leadership, time management and the sense of responsibility instilled in you be evident in whatever you do,” the Vice President said.
He added, “The knowledge and experiences you have acquired should prove priceless in your respective future career engagements. As you have learnt, the ultimate goal of obtaining a ‘pass staff college’ (psc) symbol and a Master of Science in Defence and International Politics (MDIP) degree from this revered institution should be a subject of immense satisfaction for any officer of the Armed Forces, other security services, Ministries, Departments, Agencies and related organizations”.
Support for the College
According to Dr. Bawumia, government will continue to support the college with all the resources it needs to ensure that it maintains its status as one of the learning centres of excellence on the African continent.
The Commandant
In his address, Commandant of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Rear Admiral Moses Beck-Baffour, entreated members of Course 40 and the graduating MDIP students to be exemplary torch bearers of the noble institution by always keeping the GAFCSC flame burning in all their endeavours wherever they may find themselves in the professional space.
The Graduands
Over all, sixty seven (67) officers from Ghana, Togo, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Botswana, Liberia, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Nigeria, graduated from Senior Division Course 40. Twenty eight (28) civilians constituted the list of the third batch of students who graduated with a Master of Science in Defence and International Politics (MDIP). Notable amongst the MDIP graduating class were the General Secretary of the opposition NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah and NDC Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The Vice President in his address singled out the General Secretary of the NDC for praise.
“I will single out for special mention one of the graduants today, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah. He is known as the general of mosquitoes and also the General Secretary of the NDC, even though I am told that as he came into this institution, he left all his “ntoatoa” behind the gate. As I shook his hand, I was wondering whether the physical training and exercises has added any more muscle to him but it appears as if it did not work. I am told that he did not come here to beef up the physical muscles but he came here to beef up the intellectual capacity of the NDC and also to enhance his case for being selected as running mate,” the Vice President said.
Awards
Ten (10) officers received awards in Course 40 with the overall best award, Honour of Graduate, going to Major Isaac Kobby Boako, of the Ghana Army. The overall best award in the Master of Science in Defence and International Politics programme as well as the best dissertation award went to Bridget Jacaba Avorgah, Assistant Lecturer of the Islamic University College.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Wilberforce Asare