Kofi Ampeah Woode
The Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) has held its Seventy-Ninth (79th) Junior Staff Course Graduation Ceremony, progressing sixty-four (64) Officers from five (5) African militaries for Junior Staff and middle-level appointments.
On Friday June 30 2023, at the Hamidu Hall of Ghana’s Military College, one (1) Officer from The Gambia, 1 from Liberia, 2 from Botswana, 8 from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and 52 from the Ghana Army, the Ghana Navy and the Ghana Air Force, were awarded the symbol ‘jsc’ which signifies that the graduands have passed the Junior Staff Course, with Colonel (Col) Ani Asamoah (Rtd) as the Guest of Honour.
GAFCSC’s Junior Staff Course 79 assembled on 10 February 2023 and commenced lectures on 13 February 2023 with 64 students, with the aim of training selected officers to perform staff functions, by developing their leadership, analytical and communication skills, while providing the foundation for their subsequent career development.
In an overview presentation, the Assistant Commandant (ASCOM), Junior Division – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Albert Dawohoso said the awarded “jsc” is an achievement that compares favourably with similar standards with militaries elsewhere in the world.
He stated that as part of the experiential studies package of the College, GAFCSC’s Junior Staff Course 79 undertook an Environmental Study Tour to the Western Region to conduct research into some of the existing challenges to the development of the Region, with the study covering 6 thematic areas: 1) The Illegal Small-Scale Mining in the Western Region, 2) Examining the reasons for the Chieftaincy Disputes in the Western Region and to propose ways beyond current efforts at resolving them, 3) Examining the e-TANKAS System in the sanitation value chain in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.
The other areas of the study were 4) The interventions the Western Region is making to solve the problem of child prostitution and identify best practices the Region can adopt to minimize the problem, 5) Examining the oil benefits that have accrued to the Western Region since 2007 and 6) Assessment of the potential and challenges of the Rapid Bus Transit System in the Sekondi-Takoradi
The students produced comprehensive reports which would be forwarded to higher headquarters for appropriate attention, for the selection of the themes were done in consultation with the Ministry of Local Government.
The ASCOM continued that most of the non-military lectures on national and international issues during the Course, were handled by lecturers from the University of Ghana (UG), Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), some state agencies, security services, some public and private organizations.
He continued to say that the Internal Security (IS) and Counter Insurgency (COINS) phase of the course, which culminated into the final exercise codenamed “Exercise OMBUDSMAN”, had participation of some sister security agencies for the first time, after it deviated from the norm for a fifth course running, due to COVID-19 and the Military College’s inability to invite participants from our sister security agencies, due to some administrative challenges.
The Guest of Honour – Col Asamoah (Rtd) reminded the graduands that, the world is saddled with several threats to peace and security with instability, due to terrorism, ethnic and religious disputes, environmental disasters as well as pandemics such as the COVID-19 which has had devastating effects on humanity.
He therefore, urged the graduands to practicalize the knowledge acquired, effectively and efficiently in the discharge of their duties, from their study which has equipped them with the knowledge and skills essential for Junior Staff and middle-level appointments, and it is the fervent expectation of command that you will apply the knowledge and skills acquired.
At the Awards, OVERALL BEST STUDENT went to Major (Maj) AR Darko, SECOND BEST STUDENT to Maj JJK Odoi, THIRD BEST STUDENT to Captain (Capt) KA Narh, BEST ALLIED STUDENT to Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) KT Alao, BEST ASSISTANT COMMANDANT’S
RESEARCH PAPER to Capt KA Narh, SECOND BEST ASSISTANT COMMANDANT’S RESEARCH PAPER to Flt Lt MA Abdulhafiz, THIRD BEST ASSISTANT COMMANDANT’S RESEARCH PAPER to Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) A Serwah, EVERARD AWARD to Maj SW Addai-Mensah, and BEST FEMALE STUDENT to Sqn Ldr A Tahiru.
Present at the event were the Commandant, GAFCSC – Major General Irvine Ayittey Aryeetey, Deputy Commandants – Brig Gen Abass Seidu and Air Commodore Eric Yirenkyi, Senior Officers of the College and from the General Headquarters of GAF, Staff of GAFCSC, families and friends of the graduands.
