By Kwei Nii Amasah
Accra - The Ministry of Defence will as from September, 2000, introduce a first degree programme at the Ghana Military Academy and a Master's Degree at the Ghana Armed Forces Commander and Staff College (GAFCSC).
The Minister of Defence, Lieutenant Colonel (rt'd) Enoch Kwame Tweneboa Donkoh, disclosed this last Friday when he addressed the graduation ceremony of Course 21 (Senior Division) at the Otu Barracks at Teshie near Accra.
The modalities of these courses, the Minister disclosed, are currently being considered in consultation with university authorities.
According to the Minister, the new programme will enable the Ministry play an important role in national development and also in enhancing quality training.
Government, Lt. Col. Donkoh said, is doing all it can to meet the needs of the Armed Forces, through the provision of valuable human and material assets which could be harnessed for national development. These, he said, are "discipline, loyalty, expertise and training capabilities".
He, however, stated that there is a huge potential for an increased role for the Armed Forces in areas such as the protection of endangered species, natural resources management, reafforestation, environmental preservation and disaster control.
Other areas the Minister mentioned are rural infrastructure, rural education and public health and sanitation.
According to Lt. Col. Donkoh, the role of the Armed Forces in nation-building "must be clearly defined within the context of a comprehensive national development plan".
"The National Development Planning Commission is working along these lines," the Minister added.
He further said that the suggestion made by the Vice-President for the establishment of a standing civil-military coordinating body to map out strategies to involve the Armed Forces in national development is being addressed at various levels.
He stressed the need for a cordial civil-military relations. To achieve this, "the Armed Forces will open up to public discussion and will be more operative in their dealings with civil society."
He added that comprehensive public outreach programmes like the Army Week, as was organised in November, 1997, will be revived.
This initiative, according to the Minister, will help to bridge the seeming gap between the Armed Forces and the civilian population.
Lt. Col. Donkoh, however, cautioned against resort to any utterances and actions that may trend to sow seeds of misunderstanding and dissension between the Armed Forces and civil society or create disaffection among personnel of the security services.
The Armed Forces, he said, will work hand in hand with civil society for national development in the national interest.
He commended graduates from sister African countries particularly those from La Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal.
