VEEP calls for Civil-Military cooperation

Accra, Aug. 5, GNA - Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Friday expressed the need for healthy civil-military relations to enhance the process of national development. "In other words, cordial civil-military relations is key to the process of securing relevance to the vast majority of our people, as we continue to reform and restructure our security sector to conform to the needs of today and the future." Alhaji Mahama was speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), during which 45 senior officers comprising 22 Ghanaians and 23 allied students from other African countries completed a 12- month course. He said more could be done to improve civil-military relations further through increased public awareness of the legitimate roles and capabilities of the military. "As the practice of democracy deepens in Ghana, the Government will continue to support measures aimed at making the Armed Forces a lot more open and proactive in its dealings with the civil segment of our society," he said. Referring to the participants of the 26th graduation ceremony from Botswana; Burkina Faso; Gambia; Kenya; Mali; Malawi; Nigeria; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra Leone; South Africa; Tanzania; Uganda and Zambia, he asked them to let their performance reflect the high professional standards of the College in what ever position they might find themselves. The course aims at developing the command, analytical and communication skills of officers and to promote broad understanding and knowledge of joint, single service and combined operations.