Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has reiterated government’s commitment to maintaining the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) as a Center of Excellence for the training of Middle and Senior Level Officers for the armies on the African continent.

Speaking at the Joint Graduation Ceremony of the Senior Division Course 40 and 2019 batch of MSc Defence and International Politics at the Otu Barracks, Teshie, Accra on Friday, August 16, Vice President Bawumia reiterated government’s resolve to continue to support the College with all its requirements to ensure that it retains its status as one of the top learning centres on the continent, describing the College as a “prime national asset.”

“The Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College has succeeded in establishing itself as a Center of Excellence on the African continent when it comes to the training of Middle and Senior Level Officers for Staff, Command and Leadership roles for the GAF, the Armed Forces of sister African countries and Allied Security Institutions.

“We do appreciate the relevance of the Experiential Learning with respect to the annual Regional and African Study Tours as part of the course package. The reports from these tours continue to help shape government’s policies.

“Let me reiterate Government’s resolve to continue to support the College with all its requirements to ensure that the College retains its status as one of the top learning centres on the continent. We consider this College as a prime national asset.

“Government will engage relevant stakeholders including the GETFUND to make the needed resources available to the College to complete the ongoing residential accommodation. It is gratifying to note that much progress has been made on this project since my last visit,” the Vice President stated.

While commending the graduates for their successes, Vice President Bawumia reminded them that the course pursued at GAFCSC has equipped them with the required analytical, communication, leadership and managerial skills to enable them achieve the highest standards in today’s multifaceted defence, security and global political arena.

He encouraged the graduands, especially those from other African countries to maintain the bonds of friendship built over the period.

“The people you have met and the friendships that you have built in the course of your training here in GAFCSC, are fundamental in building knowledge networks on matters of national and international strategic significance. Trust me, maintaining and sustaining those cordial relationships at both the personal and professional levels will greatly enhance your career accomplishments,” he advised.

Vice President Bawumia commended the Minister for Defence, Commandant of the College, the Staff College Control Board as well as the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) for their “commitment, dedication and the direction they continue to give the College”, and urged them to “remain innovative and resourceful as they have done in the past to meet the challenges of contemporary defence management.”

“It is not surprising to learn that the products of this institution are rising and are known to be taking different leadership positions in different establishments in various countries. The increasing requests for vacancies from our sister African countries for their officers to be trained at this College are testaments to the recognition of the institution as a Center of Excellence,” he added.

Sixty seven military officers, including 27 officers from 13 sister African countries – Burkina Faso, Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, and Zambia, graduated in the Senior Division Course 40. Major I.K. Boako of the Ghana Army was adjudged the Honour Graduate. Lt Cdr A.A. Oyediran won the Best Allied Student Award.

Twenty eight others, including Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), were also awarded with MSc Defence and International Politics (MDIP) degrees. Avorgah Bridget Jacoba, a lecturer at the Islamic University, won the 2019 MDIP Best Student Award.