General News of Tuesday, 27 April 2004

Source: Standard Times (Freetown)

Sierra Leonean Army Officers to Study in Ghana

As part of the general restructuring process ongoing in the military, twenty Lieutenants will soon be going on Junior Officers course at the Ghana Military College, while thirty Captains are also being prepared to pursue a similar course for Senior Officers abroad.

The head of Recruiting and Training in the army, Colonel Bashiru Conteh, in confirming the statement said it is meant to equip them with the ethics of the profession, as regards discipline, leadership, etc.

He said these officers will have a job to perform when they shall have returned, noting that the Sierra Leone Army is striving to live up to the standard of other militaries in the world.

"Since we are just coming from a civil war a lot has to be done and one of these is exactly what we are doing," he said, adding, "that is why we are recruiting young and qualified Sierra Leoneans into the army." "The military is growing," revealed Colonel Bashiru Conteh, while touching on the recruitment exercise just concluded over the country.

The tireless and hard working officer disclose that he was impressed with several towns in the provinces as there were not many problems during the exercise compared to last year.

In his concluding statement he expressed the hope and wish that with the training and study programmes, the nation will end up with very good soldiers who are ready to defend the nation at all times.