GHANA ARMED FORCES COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE HOLDS ITS 18TH MATRICULATION CEREMONY
The Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) held its 18th matriculation ceremony for fresh students of the Master of Science in Defence and International Politics Program (MDIP) on Friday 10 March 2023 at the Hamidu Hall of the College, Teshie. The matriculation ceremony was the 10th for the weekend programme and the 18th in total for the College.
The Commandant of the College, Major General Irvine Nii Ayitey Aryeetey in his welcome address acknowledged the immense contributions of the Legon Centre for International Affairs, the University of Ghana, and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) that have enabled the College to acquire both institutional and program accreditation. He specifically appreciated GIMPA for their constant support and mentorship of the MDIP program.
The Commandant also indicated that, beyond offering higher military education, the programs run in the College have gone through an extensive transformation, culminating in the introduction of the weekend Master of Science Degree program. He celebrated the hard work and achievements of the Dean of the Academic Division, Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso, the Staff College Control Board, other visionary Generals, as well as past and present members of the College Community.
He added that national and global insecurity had been aggravated by the rise in activities of non-state actors such as terrorists thereby, making the knowledge and exposure the students were about to acquire very importantly. He, therefore, admonished them to apply themselves to ensure global peace and security. He further added that the College would equip the students with its core values such as honesty, integrity, and dedication to guide them towards successful completion of the course.
The Deputy Rector of GIMPA, Professor Martin Morgan Tuuli who spoke on behalf of the Rector as the Guest of Honour, urged the Matriculants not to short-change their education, which he described as the commodity for comfort. “It has been observed that education is the only commodity which when people are short-changed, are happy’’, he lamented. Professor Morgan Tuuli also urged the students to work hard and adhere to the directives of the College. This he said, would help prepare them to emerge as leaders at various levels who would contribute their quota to both national and global security.
Senior Research Fellow and Acting Vice Dean of the college, Dr. Napoleon Kurantin in his note of assurance, encouraged the students to dedicate themselves to their studies since there were no shortcuts at the college. He assured them that the time they will spend in the College holds the key to graduating with the requisite knowledge, skills, confidence, and aptitude to contribute meaningfully to the fortunes of their communities, the world, and humanity at large.