Seventy four military officers have graduated from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) after successfully completing Junior Staff Course 85 and the Post Graduate Diploma in Defence and Security Studies (PGDDSS) programme.
The graduating class comprised 66 officers from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and eight officers from allied African countries, including Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Gambia.
The graduates completed 20 weeks of intensive military and academic training designed to prepare junior and middle-level officers for higher command and staff responsibilities.
The programme combined lectures, seminars, field studies and practical exercises focused on leadership, defence management, security studies and contemporary operational challenges.
The graduation ceremony also recognised outstanding academic and professional performance, with Captain Esmond Yaw Pila Babilah emerging as the Overall Best Graduating Student and first in the order of merit.
Captain Obina Godwin Oliver was named the Second Best Graduating Student and Best Allied Student, while Captain Rosina Ama Badah received the award for Third Best Graduating Student.
Major Freman A. Anim won the Best Assistant Commandant’s Paper award, followed by Captain Samuel Osim-Asu in second place and Captain Benjamin Owusu-Ansah in third place.
Graduation speech
Addressing the graduates, a former Commandant of GAFCSC, Brigadier General Adjetey Annan (rtd), urged them to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the course to confront the evolving security threats facing West Africa and beyond.
He noted that the region continued to grapple with instability, violent extremism and humanitarian crises, making the role of well-trained military officers more important than ever.
“Our West African region has not been spared. Ongoing insecurity in some northern parts of regional countries is a case in point,” he said.
He was certain that the training had broadened the officers’ understanding of national and international security issues and equipped them with the capacity to respond effectively to complex and multidimensional threats.
The retired officer further encouraged the graduates to uphold discipline, integrity and professionalism while remaining committed to continuous learning and effective leadership throughout their military careers.
Brig Gen Annan also commended the participation of officers from Burkina Faso, Gambia, Niger and Nigeria, describing their presence as a demonstration of the shared commitment among African countries to security cooperation and regional integration.
“The continued participation of your respective countries in the programmes of the college attests to our collective interests and quest for integration on the African continent,” he said.
He challenged the graduates to uphold the reputation of the college and apply their newly acquired expertise in the service of their respective armed forces and nations.
