Kofi Ampeah Woode
The Director, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) Colonel (Col) Henry Kwesi Nditsi, has acknowledged inadequate training aids and facilities, and lack of critical infrastructure required for the smooth running of courses at the EME Technical Training School (EMETTS), such as library, electrical and electronic Laboratory, more classrooms, and an auditorium, among others.
Col HK Nditsi made the acknowledgement when he addressed the official opening ceremony of EMETTS’ Upgrading Class 2 Course 2-2024 (UC2C 2-24), and First Semester of the school’s Accra Technical University (ATU) Certificate Program, on Friday 2 August 2024, at the forecourt of the School, at Burma Camp, Accra.
He, however, assured that Ghana’s Military High Command (MHC), as well as his Command is aware of the strategic role EMETTS plays in developing the human resource capacity of the GAF and will continue to strive to address the challenges.
In reference to the course, the Director stated that the UC2C is in pursuit of the GAF’s objective of enhancing intellectual development and training of its personnel, to be professionally competent in various trades for operations, both in peace and war times.
He said all participants of the UC2C 2-24 have completed their Basic Course at EMETTS a couple of years ago or less, and have enrolled unto the Certificate Programme by the ATU, after signing up to continue with the Diploma Course, during the Basic Course.
“Much is being done to make this School one of the best professional development institutions in the Ghana Armed Forces”, he continued, stating that over the years, GAF’s MHC, in partnership with the German Armed Forces Technical Advisory Group (GAFTAG), have provided massive support to the School, of recent being the ultra-modern Mechatronics Centre.
The Commanding Officer (CO), EMETTS – Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Emmanuel Essilfie Odoom, in his welcome remarks, said the overall objective of the course is to upgrade the knowledge of the students in their chosen trades, and improve upon their skills to be able to continue to meet ever-evolving advancement in technology challenges, on repair and maintenance of GAF’s equipment.
The CO said the UC2C 2-24 assembled on 12 July 2024 with a course capacity of 155 personnel of GAF made up of 115 students from the Army, 17 from the Navy, 22 from the Air Force, and 1 Defence Civilian Staff, with a total of 5 females.
The Upgrading Class 2 course is the next step after the Basic Course, which lays the foundation for potential tradesmen who have the desire to be employed in EME-oriented roles and trades in Ghana’s military, he continued.
Lt Col EE Odoom said that the 22-week UC2C for 2024 is divided into two modules, with the first covering 10 weeks, during which period, the students will undertake core subjects to prepare them for Module Il, which is the trade specialization phase, for 12 weeks.
He also revealed that 99 of the 100 students who enrolled for Certificate in the 4 programmes run by the ATU, during their Basic Course, will continue with the Diploma Phase.
Present at the official opening ceremony included General Coordinator/Acting Assistant Commandant, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) – Colonel (Col) Osman Zuneidu; Command Logistics Officer, Southern Command – Col Eric Nyarko; Director, Materiel, TRADOC – Col Busy Boglo; CO, TRADOC – Lt Col Kingsley Birikorang; CO, Base Workshop – Lt Col Joseph Luri; Acting Head, GAFTAG – Lt Col Thomas Henry, Regimental Sergeant Major of EMETTS, amongst many.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
