Kofi Ampeah Woode
After 40 years, 8 months and 17 days of unblemished service to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Rear Admiral (R/Adm) Moses Kodjo Beick-Baffour grounded arms at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), as the Military College’s fourteenth Commandant, having spent four years at the helm of the Centre of Excellence.
After a beautiful Handing/Taking Over Parade with Guard-of-Honour mounted by a Naval Contingent of 4 Officers and 48 Rank & File, and exhilarating marshal rhythms provided by the Ghana Navy Regimental Band at the forecourt of the College’s Mess on Friday 13 January, 2023, R/Adm MK Beick-Baffour (Rtd) was pulled-out of the College, to signify the commencement of his retirement from four decades service to GAF.
In a speech presented by the Guest-of-Honour for the occasion – Major General (Maj Gen) Nii Carl Coleman (Rtd), he cited a few of feats attained by the newly retired Admiral as; 1) Installation of Internet facilities for virtual learning, 2) Guest Lecturers’ waiting room, 3) Vehicle Park at the Mechanical Transport Yard, 4) Partial completion of new Accommodation Block, 5) Car Park for Directing Staff, 6) erecting of statue of late General JA Ankrah, 7) College Canteen, 8) College Gymnasium and 9) 1st and 2nd Editions of the College’s Journal.
In his farewell address, Admiral Beick-Baffour, urged his successor – Maj Gen Irvine Nii-Ayittey Aryeetey, to push for the operationalization of GAFCSC’s current 5-Year Strategic Plan to forestall an explosion of backlog of Officers who will become eligible for staff training, and called on Ghana’s Military High Command, not to leave the Staff College out, in the ongoing expansion programme for GAF.
While agreeing with the Vice President of Ghana – Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, that “GAFCSC has become a prime national asset”, he furthered that indeed, GAFCSC has also become a very strong diplomatic tool, as many African countries and indeed the United Nations have come to accept the College as a Centre of Excellence.
Excerpts of a Citation from the Minister for Defence and Member of Parliament (MP) for Bimbilla – Mr Dominic Aduna Bingab Nitiwul, presented to honour R/Adm MK Beick-Baffour read;
“After an earlier stint as a member of the Directing Staff (DS) and Chief Instructor Naval Faculty (CI) in 2003 and 2011 respectively, you made a remarkable impact on the academic, administrative and cultural ethos of the College.
In your role as Commandant as well as Chairman of the College Policy Committee, you have shown initiative and made tangible impact through effective communication and creative ideas.
You were DS, Commanding Officer (CO), CI, Military Secretary (MS), Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Chief of Staff (COS) and subsequently Commandant, GAFCSC on 8 January 2019, and a proud recipient of numerous academic and professional qualifications from internationally reputable institutions.
You were commissioned at the Ghana Military Academy on 29 June 1984 as the Best Naval Cadet of Regular Career Course 24. You were subsequently selected to pursue your Basic Naval Training at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, United Kingdom where you emerged as the Best International Midshipman. As part of your career development programme, you also studied in the United States, India and Cairo where you excelled.
You served with the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Ports and Harbours Authority and the Ministry of Defence, and your landmark achievements include your insightful contribution to the establishment of the GMA and the successful ruling in favour of Ghana, during the Arbitration at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on Ghana – Cote d’Ivoire Maritime Boundary case.
Under your tenure, the College witnessed the installation and extension of internet facility to students’ accommodation units, which ensured that for the first time, lectures were held online for students. Furthermore, the Conflict and Crisis Management Module for 2022 was extended virtually to external participants who could not participate in it the previous year. You have also seen to the expansion of academic programmes, including the introduction of a PhD programme and a second Master’s degree programme.”
Amongst the host of dignitaries present included the MP for Klottey-Korle – Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Rector, Ghana Institute for Management and Public Administration – Prof Bonsu, the Chief of Staff, General Headquarters – Maj Gen Nicholas Peter Andoh, Commandants, Ghana Military Academy, and Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre – Maj Gen Charles Abede Awity and Maj Gen Richard Addo Gyane, respectively, former Chiefs of the Naval Staff – R/Adm Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro (Rtd), R/Adm Peter Kofi Faidoo (Rtd), and former GAFCSC Commandants – Maj Gen Kwesi Yankson (Rtd) and Air Vice Marshal Issifu Sakib Kadri (Rtd).
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
