Be Alert To Protect Our Peace And Security � President

President John Dramani Mahama has asked the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to not go to sleep over the peace and security prevailing in the country. Rather, he said the military should continue to be vigilant in view of the emerging security threats in Africa and other parts of the world. Commissioning 106 officer cadets into the GAF yesterday after they had completed their training at the Military Academy and Training School ( MATS), the President underscored the need for the military to keep an eye on developments across the globe to prevent the situation where they could be overtaken by events. President Mahama said the new security challenges required innovation and heightened sense of wisdom to deal with. The security threats, he said, did not involve conventional wars the army fought with the armies of other nations. "The security threats of today are from new non-actors who have access to military weapons and are motivated by either religious extremism or some other ideological commitments," he said. The 2014 Military Academy graduation covered participants of Regular Career Course 54 and Short Service Commission/Special Duties Course 52. Peace keeping Ghana, Mr Mahama said, would continue to play its role in peacekeeping in troubled areas of the world. In that regard, he gave an assurance that the government would support the officers and men to perform creditably. The economic challenges notwithstanding, he said, the government was making efforts to provide all the logistics and equipment for the GAF to bring its peacekeeping requirements to the standards of the United States. Resources, the President said, were being made available to improve the operational efficiency of the military. The President, who had earlier in the day inaugurated a new academy hall for MATS, said the construction of a new three-storey building to provide accommodation for the new officers was also almost complete. The Armed Forces Staff College and the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping and Training Centre were also beneficiaries of a number of projects. High responsibility He said the nation had put resources into the training of the officer cadets and reminded them that Ghanaians demanded nothing from them apart from the high sense of responsibility as they joined the noble profession of the military. Ebola Touching on the Ebola viral disease (EVD), President Mahama said it was a major public challenge that could wipe out all the people of West Africa if it was not contained early enough. Ghana, he said, was playing a crucial role in the fight against the disease, while the international community had scaled up its role in the fight. Mr Mahama said the government had provided 100 tonnes of humanitarian relief assistance to the people of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. He urged the armed forces to play their part well in the national response to the disease. "Ebola is a crafty enemy and must never be underestimated," he said. He also told the gathering that the decision by government to seek the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in restoring economic stability was the best decision taken under the prevailing conditions. Awards Awards were given out to deserving graduates. The Sword of Honour Award went to Senior Under Officer (SUO) Gideon Ampoma for being the best all round officer cadet in Regular Career Course 54. Some other awards included the best Air Force cadet for Regular Course 54, Junior Under Officer ( JUO) Brefo Ayeboafo Boadu; best midshipman in Naval Warfare and Operations, JUO Bernice Asomaniwaa.