Kofi Ampeah Woode
Officers/Students of seventeen African Armed Forces, and graduands of Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) Senior Staff Course 45, have been charged to go out and show military leadership by example, which does not require fanfare, promises, accolades and loud applause.
This call was made by the Guest of Honour at GAFCSC’s Senior Staff Course 45 Graduation Religious Service – Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Maxwell Matsebi-Tei Nagai (Rtd), on Sunday 17 August 2024, at the Hamidu Hall of the Military College at Teshie, Accra, under the theme “To Whom Much is Given, Much is Required”, to herald Course 45’s graduation ceremony.
In a message crafted via an encomium for three Senior Officers of GAF, who he said had demonstrated extraordinary leadership in training Cadets of the Ghana Military Academy (GMA), during his tenure as Squadron Commander of Ghana Air Force’s (GHF) Helicopter Command, he cited Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, Major General Matthew Kweku Essien, and Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Lawrence Gbetanu.
In a message captioned with a phrase borrowed from a write-up of Brig Gen Daniel Kwadjo Frimpong (Rtd): “Give me the flowers while I can still smell them”, AVM MM Nagai (Rtd) paid tribute to the three whiles they are alive, and urged the graduands to emulate the trio as ensamples of quality military leadership.
He recounted that as co-trainer of GMA Cadets, after every one of those exercises which GHF uses to further train its Young Pilots, when he and his crew flew back and held debrief, one common occurrence was continuous praise for the trio Young Instructors, who then had same height and build.
They were unanimously cited for being highly knowledgeable, dedicated, tough, hard, and impactful in leading the Cadets in the conduct of Field Training Exercises (FTX), with then Captain Essien always referred to as smart, calm and enthusiastic, thus the GHF Crew always looked forward to another opportunity to meet that ‘crack team of Cadet Instructors’ of GMA.
He said on the occasion when military leaders have been specially trained and are about graduating, he used the eulogy as a point of reference to motivate the Officers to “Go out there and lead, remembering that military leadership is not about fanfare, promises, accolades, nor loud applauses. Those can pass in other spheres of leadership, but not in military command and control”.
The former Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) of GAF stated that the objective of the training of the Senior Staff Course 45, positions the students to serve well in all humility, regardless of the position or status of the people they serve, devoid of arrogance and egotism.
The integrated nature of the course, he added, has increased its intensity and made it tougher and much more demanding, thus enhancing participants’ skills in Service, Joint and Combined Operations, and adequately furnished them with the right tools, to cement their eligibility as middle-level managers.
He however, stated emphatically that success in every sphere of life, is achievable and satisfying, if one seeks the providence of God, and involves Him in every effort.
The Preacher for the Service and Member of Ghana’s National Peace Council – Right Reverend Colonel (Col) John Kwamina Otoo (Rtd), in his sermon based on a scripture from Luke 12:48, urged the graduands to acknowledge God as the Giver of appointments, and Preparer of the appointed, as an expression of faith in the appointee, to go out and deliver good results, admonishing them to be associated with proven and successful leaders.
In a homily, the Imam – Lieutenant (Ghana Navy) Muzbal Saeed, citing from the Surata in the Quran said, just as Moses was appointed to deliver the Israelites from darkness to light, the graduands have also been selected from their various Units, to be tutored and sent back to lead, and thus should show appreciation for everything; for God increases the one who is grateful.
98 Officers/Students pursued eleven months of Senior Command and Staff Course with an award of past staff college – ‘psc’, upon successful graduation, with the added privilege of concurrently acquiring GAFCSC’s Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Defence and International Politics (MDIP) programme, which also has a Weekend component of MDIP Class of 2024.
Awards were presented to distinguished students of the MDIP Class of 2024: Overall Best Student went to Alhaji Nuhu Alhassan Diko; Second Best Student went to Miss Alhassan Rabiatu Adesola; Second Best in Dissertation went to Mr Yaw Duodu; and Third Best in Dissertation went to Superintendent of Immigration Michael Tamo Ayam.
Allied Students from Botswana, la Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Nigeria, presented tokens of appreciation to GAFCSC.
Present at the service included the Commandant, GAFCSC – Major General Mathew Kweku Essien; Acting Deputy Commandant – Brig Gen Albert Kwadwo Dawohoso; Assistant Commandant, Senior Division – Air Commodore Thomas Nii Fio Okai; Chief Coordinator, GAFCSC – Colonel (Col) Maxwell Mantey.
Others included the Dean of Academic Studies – Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso; Coordinator, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration – Dr Yaw Appiah-Marfo; Chief Instructors, Senior Research Fellows, Directing Staff, Commanding Officer, the Clergy, Military and Civilian Staff of GAFCSC, Regimental Sergeant Major of GAFCSC, and families of Students.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
