Kofi Ampeah Woode
Ghana’s National College of Defence Studies (NCDS), established to nurture and equip future leaders of Armed Forces and Civil Servants from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) from the country and allied African countries, with the knowledge, skills and values necessary to protect, and serve their nations, has commenced its maiden Course.
The newly established Defence College’s Course 1, commenced on Monday 27 November, 2023, with nineteen (19) participants, comprising of 17 Senior Officers from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), that is Army – 12, Navy – 3, Air Force – 2, and one each from Ghana’s Ministries for Defence, and of National Security, on a 41-week course, made up of 4 Terms.
GAF’s Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) – Vice Admiral (V/Adm) Seth Amoama, who was the Guest of Honour for the formal opening ceremony, which was held on Thursday, 30 November, 2023, at the Signal Training School (STS), Burma Camp, Accra, which temporarily hosts the NCDS, said the commencement of the institution stands as a testament, to the unwavering commitment to providing professional military education at the strategic level.
Admiral Amoama, who goes down into history as the CDS under whose leadership, Ghana’s Defence College was established, said the NCDS – which is benchmarking to Great Britain’s Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), is to prepare selected senior military officers, and civilians working with national security establishments and MDAs, for strategic-level leadership command and staff appointments.
In partial fulfilment of Section 19 (1&2) of Act 1023 of Ghana’s Parliament, the CDS said, the NCDS has been granted institutional and program accreditations by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), and established by the Military High Command, in fulfilment of GAF’s Commander-in-Chief’s directives, and is being mentored by the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
V/Adm S Amoama further stated that NCDS’ maiden Course 1 is a pilot programme, under the theme, “Environment, Security, and Development”, to assist in proffering possible solution to contemporary security challenges at the strategic level.
The programme of the College aims 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 these selected Senior Officers’ ability to conduct scientific research in Military Science, Defence Studies, Strategic Studies, International Relations, and related subjects, he continued.
He announced that the government has embarked on massive infrastructural development, including the construction of its Campus at Teshie, and that Ghana’s President – His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will be cutting the sod for the construction of NCDS’ College Complex at Teshie enclave, in December 2023.
The Commandant, NCDS – Major General (Maj Gen) Irvine Nii-Ayittey Aryeetey, in his welcome remarks, asserted that the NCDS will not merely be a place of learning, but a symbol of GAF’s commitment to safeguarding sovereignty, and ensuring the safety and security of citizens.
General Aryeetey said of the participants of NCDS Course 1, that they are currently going through an orientation phase and will break for Christmas on 15 December, 2023, with Term 1 beginning on 9 January 2024, and would graduate in November 2024, with a Master’s Degree in “Strategic Studies”, and as Fellows of the NCDS.
Dignitaries Present at the ceremony included; the Chief of the Army Staff – Maj Gen Thomas Oppong-Peprah; Chief of the Air Staff – Air Vice Marshal Frederick Kwasi Asare Bekoe; Chief of the Naval Staff was represented by Commodore Emmanuel Ayesu Kwafo; Chief of Staff, General Headquarters – Maj Gen Nicholas Peter Andoh; Commandants of Ghana Military Academy, and GAF Command and Staff College – Maj Gen Charles Abede Awity and Maj Gen Bismarck Onwona, respectively, and Colonel Barnabas Akanbong, representing Commandant, KAIPTC.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
