LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSEMBLIES MUST INVEST IN SAFETYMANAGEMENT TRAINING - MP

Local government assemblies must invest in safetymanagement training - MP 


The Member of Parliament (MP) for Mfantseman Constituency, Ophelia Mensah Hayford, has asked local government councils to encourage their civil servantsto take courses in security and security.

Such programs will empower them to effectively deal with security-related issues to improve the country's security and stability, he said. "The growing sophistication and virtual nature of threats in today's world puts safety and security into a more complex system, thus making training in security and safety a necessityfor any country," he said.

Mrs. Hayford was speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2023 edition of the DefenseManagement Course (DMC), organized by the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) in Teshie, in the Greater Accra region. The program introduced civiliansand police officers working in the security sector to the principles of governance and management.

Participants also gained the necessary knowledge to deal effectively with security and related issues at the national and regional security levels. Sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel region have seen the threat of violence grow over the past decade, resulting in high numbers of deaths and refugees.

The African Center for Strategic Studies reports a 43% increasein violence from Islamist groupsin Africa in 2020. The 4,958 events reported to these groups represent a level of violence, continuing the upward trend seen since 2016.

Deaths reported by Islamistmilitant groups in Africa rose by a third in 2020 from the previous year, to about 13,059 deaths. Ms Mensah Hayford, a former police officer, said security management hasbecome a multi-agency task, requiring different skills and abilities.

No single company can develop all these skills necessary to manage it, he advised. "Theobjectives of this process are important and very importantfor the continued development of the African region, becausethey also affect the development of the GAFCSC Allied Student Nations, and of Africa in general," he said.

He therefore challenged theGAFCSC to find new ways of engaging more in MDA by government, industry and theprivate sector to develop new programmes, products and best practices to help improve employment skills – Ghanaian workers, in particular, on the continent. A total of 180participants attended this year's Safety Management course.

Of these, 85 are in the Senior Command and Staff Course 44, which consists of 60 officers from the Ghanaian army and 25 from 11 other allied countries in Africa. These countries are Benin, Botswana, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Togo.

Some representatives from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) also participated in the training. Present at the event were the GAFCSC Commander, Major General Irvine Ayittey Aryeetey, and his deputy, Brigadier General Seidu Bass.

Director of Education Dr.Vladimir Antwi-Dance also attended the event.