KAIPTC holds 8th Graduation for MA students

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has pledged support and partnership with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC).

Chief Executive Officer of the GNPC, Dr Kofi Koduah Sarpong said “collaborations with institutions of higher learning such as the KAIPTC is essential to addressing the envisaged threats in onshore oil operations”.

He said his outfit, will also among other initiatives “invite students from KAIPTC to access GNPC scholarships for postgraduate studies”.

Dr Sarpong was speaking at the Centre’s joint graduation ceremony held for students in the 2019 class of the Master of Arts in Conflict, Peace and Security, Master of Arts in Gender, Peace and Security, Executive Master of Arts in Conflict, Peace and Security, and the Weekend Master of Arts in Conflict, Peace and Security.

According to the GNPC CEO, Africa is grappling with diversity of security challenges, ranging from political instability to economic stagnation, ecological degradation to gross and fundamental human rights violations.

Dr Sarpong maintains “the relevance of programmes of KAIPTC to our emerging oil and gas industry and indeed our country is very apparent”.

He is proposing that the KAIPTC considers the inclusion of Corporate Conflict and Insecurity in its program offerings considering the fact that conflicts in corporate space appears to be on the ascendancy in Ghana and other countries in Africa.

Commandant of the KAIPTC, Major General Francis Ofori in his address to the overly elated graduates, and relatives emphasized “it is imperative to remember that your degree, like others, can be described as a paper qualification.

The real value lies in how you apply the knowledge and training you have received to address complex societal problems”. Major General Francis Ofori stressed the fact that the KAIPTC has “adopted a demand-driven approach which is a 360 degree change in the way we operate”.

The Commandant added, “at all levels of the organisation, we are moving out to engage with our stakeholders to determine their needs and to work with them to develop and deliver products and services that meet those needs”.

The ceremony which was filled with pomp and pageantry, was graced by the Deputy Minister of Education in charge if Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Generals and Senior Officers of the Ghana Armed Forces, Academia and some invited dignitaries from Corporate Ghana.

Deputy Minister of Education in charge if Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah, reiterated the need for Civil Society to spearhead efforts in ensuring the sustenance of peace and security. Professor Yankah said noted that civilians are often the greatest victims in the periods of strife and crises.

“For as has been demonstrated time and again in Africa here, and in parts of the world, it is often not the winning of war,that is important. The main challenge has been how to win peace”.

The minister admonished graduating students to take up critical roles to ensure a peaceful and secured society. “With a masters’ degree, you are now a master unto yourself, licensed to enlist and train other apprentices, training apprentices to maturity and independence”.

In all, a total of 120 students graduated from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), in the joint graduation ceremony.

Ms. Ruth Frimpong, overall best student for the graduating classes on behalf of her colleagues expressed gratitude to the KAIPTC for nurturing their skills and building their capacity in the respective areas of study. She announced their preparedness to be peacebuilders and advocates for human rights and justice.