Accra, Dec. 16 -GNA-- Thirty-two Staff Officers from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (Junior Division) graduated in Accra on Friday.

The Officers were made up of 28 Ghanaians and four Nigerians. The 22-week course the staff officers undertook were a combination of seminars and lectures by experts from the University of Ghana, Ghana Institute of Public Administration (GIMPA), UNDP and Ghana Center for Democratic Development.

Some of the course included environmental studies under which they were giving the opportunity to tour the Central Region on the potential of tourism of the region and a Programme in public administration sponsored by GIMPA.

Major General F.Y Mahama (Rtd) who was the guest of honor told the graduates: "there is no doubt that this award you have received, will go a long way to put you in a better position to appreciate and effectively manage the multi-dimensional challenges that you are bound to face in your career".

He said, the course has equipped them with the knowledge and skills essential for junior staff and command appointments and it is expected that they will apply the knowledge and skills acquired effectively and efficiently in the discharge of their duties. "Let me remind you that this course is only a step in your professional development, as you are no doubt aware with the end of the cod war, new threats to peace and security have emerged, resulting in major developments in military strategy and doctrine", he said. He said, there are instability through terrorism, ethnic and religious disputes as well as environmental disasters, adding, " in this regard, it is imperative that you constantly strive to arrive at a clearer understanding of what it takes to contain these threats and be ahead in your training and preparations towards handling them". He stressed that, the full effect on our respective countries of the involvement of our Armed Forces in politics is yet to be determined and the price the Ghanaian Armed Forces as an institution has to pay is on the high side.

He emphasized that, in the quest to save the country, souls were lost and compromised with the ethics of this noble and proud profession. 16 Dec. 06.