Kofi Ampeah Woode
Ghana’s National College of Defence Studies (NCDS) has held an Induction and Religious Service for its maiden Course 1-23 participants, to spiritually energize them on their arduous one-year long academic pursuit.
The service was held at the Garrison Methodist Presbyterian Church (GMPC), Burma Camp, in Accra, with the Guest of Honour, who is Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SKONES GROUP OF COMPANIES – Ajhaji Iddi Sumaila, urging participants, to commit the next 11 months into the hands of the Almighty God, and to use the opportunity to grow spiritually.
Alhaji Sumaila urged the participants, as potential strategic-level Senior Officers and Senior Civil Servants, to deem it imperative to embrace the course and seek divine guidance in all endeavours, especially in the pursuit of knowledge, and to make God the centre of all their undertakings.
Turning to the course, whose theme is “Environment, Security, and Development”, Alhaji Sumaila said it embodies the fundamental values and principles upon which the Defence College is built: to ameliorate the country’s security challenges.
He said the NCDS course has well-defined aims and objectives, which project to produce graduates imbued with leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, required to address Ghana and Africa’s complex security challenges, and to also build the capacity of selected senior officers’ ability to conduct scientific research in Military Science, Defence Studies, Strategic Studies, International Relations, and related subjects.
By addressing the complex relationship between the environment, evolving security challenges, and the imperative need for development, Ghana’s Defence College, Alhaji Sumaila said, aims to equip its participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to safeguard the nation’s peace, security, and prosperity.
Together, he asserted that the three would forge a path towards the harmonious coexistence of natural resources, the well-being of the people, and the progress of the nation.
Reminding the Senior Officer Participants that they will be expected to exhibit good leadership qualities, effective communication skills, and sound knowledge of military strategy and geopolitics, the Guest of Honour said Ghana, and the Africa should see the result in economic development to meet the challenging needs of the continent, as the taxpayer should see value for money in them.
The College, being a Centre for strategic learning, Ghana and by extension, the Continent of Africa expect outstanding and extreme thought processing at the very highest level, and that the participants should be above ordinary military officers, in terms of security issues, as their country will depend and rely on their inputs on discussions of strategic nature, he continued.
He challenged them to proffer measures to strengthen Ghana’s alliances and partnerships using initiative, and to keep in memory that, not all good ideas come from the nation with the most aircraft carriers or war machines.
“Do not shy away from the hard problems, and even tougher solutions by saying that, something is above your pay grade. Your nation and Service did not invest a precious year of the finest education possible, for you to take a timid view of your leadership responsibility”, Alhaji I Sumaila concluded.
The NCDS Course 1–23 commenced on Monday 27 November, 2023, with 19 participants comprising of 17 Senior Officers from the Ghana Armed Forces; that is Army – 12, Navy – 3, Air Force – 2, and one each from Ghana’s Ministries of National Security and for Defence, on a 41- week course, made up of 4 Terms.
