By Iddi Yire
Accra, April 12, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama, the Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, has pledged his full support for the establishment of the National Defence University by the Ghanaian Military.
He said to support the National Defence University to realise its full potential, this specialised institution would run strategic academic courses to support government’s efforts for strategic high education for qualified Ghanaians, civilians, and the military.
“Talking about academics in relation to the Ghana Armed Forces, I am particularly elated about the coming on stream of the National Defence University with a Presidential Charter,” President Mahama said in his address at the graduation of the Regular Career Course 63 of the Ghana Military Academy at Teshie, near Accra.
President Mahama granted the Graduating Officer Cadets of Regular Career Course 63, the President’s Commission into the Ghana Armed Forces.
He noted that the Presidential Charter provided the Ghana Armed Forces the mandate to explore and facilitate extensive teaching and learning towards more effective national defence and security.
“Conceptually, as one of the constituent colleges of the National Defence University, the Ghana Military Academy will receive the needed facilities to achieve its mandate.”
The President reiterated that the intervention would actualise the upgrading of the commissioning course to a postgraduate diploma, status for newly commissioned officers; saying, “So, when the officers are commissioned, they will come out with a postgraduate diploma.”
He said the Ghana Military Academy had remained resolute and well-focused in achieving its mandate, notwithstanding some challenges it faces.
The President said the Academy had a very rich history of training many of West Africa’s great and famous military leaders and the National Defence University would be another opportunity to incorporate a mainstream military discipline and doctrine in their people, pursuing higher education.
He said the Minister for Defence had informed him that the Ghana Military Academy as they see it today had only undergone its first phase of expansion and was awaiting a second phase and a third phase.
President Mahama said complementing the need to make the facilities more functional, he would give attention to their urgent requirement for a sports complex with a modern gymnasium and a swimming pool, and the construction of an outer perimeter road to facilitate training in the Academy.
Touching in instability in the West African sub-region, President Mahama said: “Our sub-region is affected by the scourge of terrorism. Terrorist attacks close to our northern border have become a regular feature. Ghana is also not immune from the influence and effects of the complex challenges posed by the global security environment.”
This, he said, was due to globally non-state security actors were becoming or in some instances had already become central and pivotal.
He explained that the situation required a comprehensive approach to state security, and one could not underestimate the importance of active participation of all citizens in the security and stability of their state.
“As citizens of Ghana, we must recognize that the nature of contemporary threats that confront us demand that we do not perceive our security services as the exclusive institutions responsible for our safety and security.”
The President urged Ghanaians to support the security services and the Ghana Armed Forces with information that was useful and intelligence that was helpful that would advance their work rather than retrogress it.
GNA
LAA