Kofi Ampeah Woode
Seventy-six (76) Junior and Middle-level Staff Officers from various African armed forces have graduated with ‘jsc’ after completing Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College’s (GAFCSC) 19-week Junior Staff Course 81.
A grand graduation ceremony for the Junior Staff Course 81, was held at Otu Barracks, Teshie, in Accra, on Friday 14 June 2024, with Commissioner of Police (COP) and Executive Director, Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) – Mrs Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, as Guest of Honour, with support from the Commandant, GAFCSC – Major General Matthew Kweku Essien.
Delivering her address, COP MYT Addo-Danquah said the Course has afforded participants the opportunity to broaden their professional and general outlook on matters of both national and international interest, through a combination of seminars and lectures delivered by competent lecturers from GAF, institutions of academic excellence, selected state agencies and other sister security services.
She further stated that the 19-week ‘jsc’ is a significant step in the participants’ professional development, and would put the Officers in a better position to appreciate, and effectively manage the multi-dimensional challenges that they are bound to face in their career.
Reminding them of a world saddled with several threats to peace and security, such as instability via terrorism, ethnic and religious disputes, natural, environmental and human induced disasters, and the recent spillage and subsequent floods in some regions which had devastating effects on humanity, she urged the graduates to constantly strive to arrive at a clearer understanding, and to be on top of what it takes to contain any of these threats, be it natural or man-made.
Of the continued participation in the programmes of the College by the Allied students, the Guest of Honour opined that it attests to Africa’s collective quest to achieve integration on the continent, and that more is desirable, assuring that Ghana will continue to open her doors to sister African countries, to promote continental cooperation.
Presenting his Report on the Junior Division of the College for the First Half of the Training Year 2024, the Assistant Commandant (ASCOM), Junior Division, GAFCSC – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Albert Kwadwo Dawohoso said, the Course assembled on 26 January 2024, and commenced lectures on 29 January 2024 with 76 students.
The 76 African Armed Forces Officers comprised of three (3) from Botswana, one (1) from The Gambia, 1 from Liberia, four (4) from Nigeria, and the remaining sixty-seven (67) students are Ghanaian Officers, drawn from the GAF – Army, Navy and Air Force.
The ASCOM said, the Junior Division aims at training selected Officers to perform staff functions, by developing their leadership, analytical and communication skills, while providing the foundation for their subsequent career development, for which reason, only students who are able to prove their ability and meet the Course standards, are awarded the symbol ‘jsc’, signifying passage of Junior Staff Course – which compares with similar standards of militaries around the world.
As part of the experiential studies package of the College, Junior Staff Course 81 undertook an Environmental Study Tour to the Central and Eastern Regions, to conduct research into some existing challenges to the development of these Regions, covering 6 thematic areas:
1) Evaluating the Effectiveness of Management Strategies in Ensuring Efficient Management of the Fishing Industry for Sustainable Development in the Central Region of Ghana; 2) Assessing the Collaborative Efforts of Stakeholders to Improve the Quality of Education for Sustainable Development in the Central Region of Ghana; 3) Examining ways to Improve Tourism in the Central Region of Ghana for Sustainable Development.
The other areas of study were: i) Evaluating the Challenges of Tourism in the Eastern Region of Ghana to Enhance Socio-Economic Development; ii) Examining the Impact of Chieftaincy Disputes to Enhance Socio-Economic Development in the Region; and iii) Assessing the Effectiveness of Local Government Efforts in Curbing Illegal Mining to Ensure Sustainable Development in the Region.
The selection of the themes was done in consultation with Ghana’s Ministry of Local Government, with the students producing comprehensive reports, of which the Executive Summary would be forwarded to higher headquarters for appropriate attention.
The Internal Security and Counter Insurgency phase of the Course, which culminated into the final exercise codenamed “Exercise OMBUDSMAN”, had participation from Ghana’s Prisons Service, National Fire Service, Immigration Service, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Narcotics Control Commission, National Security Secretariat and National Investigations Bureau.
At the Awards: Major (Maj) Michael Ekpale won the OVERALL BEST STUDENT and BEST ARMY STUDENT; Captain (Capt) Delali Foli won SECOND BEST STUDENT and BEST ASCOM’S PAPER; Capt George Kweku Owusu Asirifi won THIRD BEST STUDENT; Capt Victor Ngbede won BEST ALLIED STUDENT; Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) Frederick Doegah won 2ND BEST ASCOM’S PAPER;
Maj YB Teng won 3RD BEST ASCOM’S PAPER; Maj EA Nuapah won EVERARD; Lieutenant Commander Harrison Brew won BEST NAVY STUDENT; and Sqn Ldr Ivy Naa Ayorkor Tetteh won BEST AIR FORCE STUDENT.
Present at the ceremony included the Director General, Training, GAF – Brig Gen Winfred Dzandu-Heddidor; Chief Coordinator, GAFCSC – Colonel Maxwell Mantey; Dean and Academic Staff, Directors and Chief Instructors, and Staff Officers from the Service Headquarters.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
