Addo-Kufuor

Accra, May 21, GNA - Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Minister of Defence on Friday called on ministries, departments and agencies responsible for crisis management in the country to develop synchronised bi-annual joint simulation exercises to sharpen the skills and behaviours of their members. He said institutional capacity building alone was not adequate to manage crisis and disasters in the country.

Dr. Addo-Kufuor made the call in an address read on his behalf by Mr Joseph K. Akudibilla, Deputy Minister of Defence at the closing session of an Internal Crisis Management Course at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) at Teshie in Accra. The 80 participants who took part in the three-week course were drawn from the security agencies, ministries and departments. Among them were the Ministry of Defence, Ghana Police Service, Ministry of Manpower Development and Employment and the Ghana Health Service.

The Ministry of Interior, British Military Advisory and Training Team (West Africa), Cranfield and Bradford Universities in the United Kingdom jointly sponsored it. Dr. Addo-Kufuor noted that the right and appropriate public responses to emergency situations were equally important in achieving efficient crisis management. He said more attention should be focused on efforts to remove the underlying causes of crisis in the country rather than wait for it to happen.

"Globalisation has outpaced our development and we cannot afford to be wasting too much of our efforts and national resources, which could otherwise have been used for poverty alleviation and national growth and development, in managing crisis" he said. Dr. Addo-Kufuor pledged the Government's commitment to provide financial support for effective internal crisis management in addition to periodic training of key actors in crisis management to acquire new knowledge and skills. The Defence Minister implored the participants to make sure they impart the knowledge and skills acquired to colleagues at their workplaces through departmental seminars. Major General Karl Coleman, Commandant of GAFCSC assisted by Mr. Akudibilla presented certificates to the participants and resource personnel.