Veep stresses the need for peaceful Africa

Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur has noted that equitable distribution of wealth and social amenities of nations are essential to arrest the unrests and conflicts that is challenging Africa’s development.

“Africa can only come out of its present developmental quagmire when we find solutions to unrests caused in part by inequitable distribution of a nation’s wealth and social amenities,” the Vice President stressed.

Amissah-Arthur made the observation in a speech read on his behalf at a graduation ceremony at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), at Teshie, in Accra, where Master of Arts Degrees in Conflicts, Peace and Security and Gender, Peace and Security were awarded to 73 graduates.

The ceremony also marked the climax of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Centre, which is being mentored by the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Greenhill, Legon.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur’s speech was read on his behalf by Professor Nana Jane Opoku- Agyeman, Minister of Education.

He said eight out of 15 United Nations operations are in Africa, and signifies immense challenges to the continent.

“I urge the graduates to reverse the current situation for sustained peace on the continent. My advice is that you endeavour to use your acquired knowledge in the service of everyone, especially of those less privileged than you are,” he said.

Vice President Amissah- Arthur said the enrolment of different African nationals at the institution advances the efforts of visionary Africans to the Pan Africanist agenda.

He underlined the need to encourage events that bring Africa together to address persisting challenges of the continent’s very recent history and to chart unifying paths forward.

He reiterated Ghana’s role to support other African countries to create conditions for stability, adding “this remains an essential part of the foreign policy initiative of the Government”.

Nana Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, acknowledged the contribution of Ghana to global peacekeeping operations, and said there is the need to maintain the status quo.

She urged the graduates to include human rights issues in their activities, and called for the strengthening of early warning systems in the maintenance of peace.

There was a goodwill message read by Prof Barry Morris, Vice President of the Kennesaw State University, an affiliate university in the US.

Mr Emmanuel Yeboah Ababio was awarded the Commandant’s Prize for being the overall best student in the Master of Arts in Conflicts, Peace and Security; while the Commandant’s Prize for the Master of Arts in Gender, Peace and Security went to Ms Abate Emebet Getachew, who came from Ethiopia on a Swiss Government scholarship.

His prize was received by Madam Gifty Abasiya Ababulgu, Ethiopia’s Ambassador who also graduated in the same discipline.

Among the graduates were: Mr Francis Asamoh Tufuor, a Journalist with the Ghanaian Times newspaper and Mrs Linda Akrasi-Kotey, also a Journalist, with the Ghanaian Chronicle.