Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has urged the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) to explore the possibility of tapping into other areas of study that are necessary for the socio-economic development of the country.
This follows the increasing patronage of the programmes offered by GAFCSC, which has become the preferred destination for military and academic excellence and also continues to enjoy enrolment of allied officers from all over Africa.
The development, he observed, should serve as a motivation for the Ghana Armed Forces to embark on this venture.
To this end, he said the Military High Command and the Staff College Control Board should leverage its GAFCSC status and prominence to work towards sustaining the gains already achieved and possibly venture into other untapped areas where the military has a comparative advantage.
“I am conscious of the fact that GAFCSC has a very packed academic calendar but I am also aware that the college has versatile and dedicated staff who are always ready to go the extra mile to work in the service of God and the country.
I will, therefore, be looking forward to GAFCSC developing modules focusing on the ongoing digitalisation awareness and cyber security issues. This is a passionate appeal and a challenge that I am throwing to the Ghana Armed Forces to consider. The military and technology are inseparable and therefore opportunities for deepening knowledge in that domain for the benefit of humanity should not be overlooked,” he stated.
The Vice President, who was the guest of honour at the 8th congregation of GAFCSC during the ‘Joint Graduation Ceremony’ of Senior Command and Staff Course 43 and Master of Science in Defence and International Politics, stressed the important role of the college.
“With the status of the college as a tertiary institution and her flagship integrated programme namely the Passed Staff College (PSC) and the Master of Science in Defence and International Politics, GAFCSC has assumed an even greater role in shaping the leadership and managerial skills of many professionals from Ghana and other sister African countries.”
He recognised that the 5-Year Strategic Plan of the college, put in place by the Command is forward-looking, and will realise clearing the backlog of officers due for command and staff training.
Meanwhile, he indicated that it will also pave the way to accommodate increased intake at the Ghana Military Academy.
He said the government will play its part to provide the necessary funds to support the expansion of the physical infrastructure and other facilities required for the realization of the plan.
“While the government will continue to play its part, I also appeal to business entities to include GAFCSC in their Corporate Social Responsibility Projects to help ease the burden on the government. We all have a moral responsibility to ensure that the Military is well trained and equipped to protect the country and its citizens,” he said.
Dr. Bawumia charged the 2022 graduating class, saying, “make it a duty to ensure that your output in your future deployments reflects these high standards. You are further charged to go out as torchbearers and worthy ambassadors of the College.”
Also, he urged them to maintain a high standard of discipline and professionalism in their respective Armed Forces and other institutions to enhance the civilian-military relationships.
He reckoned that the recent attacks in Burkina Faso, Togo, and Ivory Coast highlight the determination of the terrorists to expand beyond landlocked Sahelian countries, where the insurgency has devastated thousands of lives and property in the last decade.
The fight against terrorism, he stated, is a collective one, and, therefore, entreated members of the Force to play their part to educate and create public awareness on issues of public safety and security.
In all, 85 officers graduated with 59 being members of the Ghana Armed Forces while the remaining 26 were allied officers from 11 African countries including Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, and Liberia among others.
The Commandant of GAFCSC, Rear Admiral Moses Beick-Baffour, in his remarks, called on the government to support the infrastructural development of the college.
