President Mahama Advises Military To Be Professional

President John Dramani Mahama on Friday advised military officers to discharge their duties professionally irrespective of the circumstances they find themselves. He said as a security agency, the military had the mandate to defend the country by maintaining peace, security and stability, a duty that should be religiously adhered to. President Mahama said this during the graduation parade of 81 military officers at the Ghana Military Academy. The 53rd Graduation Ceremony, made up of the regular and the first ever medical intake also attracted Ministers of States, government officials, parents and relatives of the graduates. Since its establishment, the Ghana Military Academy has produced 3,000 Ghanaians officers now serving in various capacities in the Ghana Armed Forces. It has also trained cadets from Uganda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Benin and The Gambia. President Mahama said Ghana had gain a foothold in the international peace-keeping programmes, and urged the officers to conduct themselves professionally to maintain the reputation for the country. He said Ghana's performance in various programmes had earned the Ghana Airforce a call to provide aviation services to the United Nations Peace-keeping in Mali. President Mahama said it was the first time an African country was given the opportunity to serve in that capacity, and urged the Airforce to uphold the offer in high esteem for posterity. The President gave the assurance that his administration would continue to support them with all the necessary logistics to enhance its performance. Real Admiral E. A Bonsu, Commandant of the Military Academy Training School, urged the graduates to use the skills acquired at during the training to sustain peace, security and stability for the socio- economic development of the country. He reminded them to be mindful of the core mandate of upholding the constitution of Ghana and to defend Ghana 'by land, air and sea'. The Commandant said: "The people of Ghana have chosen the path of democracy and good governance and it is, therefore, your duty and indeed the duty of all responsible citizens, to support authority to ensure the success of our democracy." Cadets, who distinguished themselves in various endeavors of the training, were awarded at the ceremony.