President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has asked personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to upgrade their knowledge and enhance their professional competence to deal with national security challenges.
He said global dynamics posed new forms of security challenges that could only be dealt with at the national level if security personnel adopted innovative strategies and adhered to ethical standards.
“In the prevailing global environment, security scenarios are shifting and, therefore, as military officers, you must prepare yourselves mentally, physically and professionally to meet that challenge,” he said.
The President made the call in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Vice-President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, at the graduation of the Cadet Special Medical Intake III at the Ghana Military Academy (GMA) in Accra yesterday.
At the colourful event characterised by artistic military displays, 99 medical professionals who undertook a five-month military training were officially inducted into the GAF.
Present at the event were the Minister of Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul; the Minister of the Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery; the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr David Asante-Apeatu; and the top hierarchy of the GAF, including the Chief of the Defence Staff, Major General O. B Akwa.
Discipline
The President urged the military officers to let the training they had received translate into the disciplined lifestyle that would be anchored on dedication to duty, personal and professional integrity; and diligence in safeguarding the country’s image.
“Merely wearing a rank on your shoulders does not make you a good leader, but you can only be worthy of respect and trust if you display unquestionable integrity, knowledge and courage in a compassionate manner,” he said.
Assurance
President Akufo-Addo told the personnel of GAF that his government had advanced plans to roll out a comprehensive housing scheme to address the accommodation challenge of the GAF.
He said the initiative, dubbed ‘Barracks Regeneration Project’, would ensure that new accommodation facilities were constructed and renovation works carried out on dilapidated structures at the military barracks.
He observed that the move would ensure that the military personnel lived in a better environment that would motivate them to protect the country at all times.
The President described the graduation of the medical-turned-army officers as timely, saying their services would be needed to fill the human resource void when work on the Military Hospital in Kumasi was completed.
He further reiterated his commitment to ensure that the Military Hospital project in Kumasi was carried out, while pragmatic steps were taken to upgrade the facilities at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
Awards
Junior Under-Officer (JUO) Teng Yenbil Bernard received the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Award for being the All-Round Best Officer Cadet of the Special Medical Intake III.
The Best Female Officer Cadet Award was presented to JUO Lasidji Berlinda Narh, while Cadet Sergeant Nyarko Dennis took the Commandant Award for being the second best graduand.
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