Salutations
- Distinguished Chairman,
- Hon. Minister for The Interior;
- Hon. Ministers of State;
- Chairman of the Fire Service Council;
- Chief Fire Officer;
- Service Commanders;
- Directors of Ghana National Fire Service;
- Distinguished Invited Guests;
- Officers and Men of Ghana National Fire Service;
- Friends of the Media;
- Ladies and Gentlemen.
ALL PROTOCOLS OBSERVED.
Good morning to you all
It is indeed a pleasure to be here for the graduation parade of Cadet Course Intake XXII of the Ghana National Fire Service at the Fire Academy and Training School in Jamestown. I am here on behalf of His Excellency the President and the people of Ghana, to say thank you to each one of you, for stepping up, for giving up the comfort of civilian life, and for putting on the Firefighter uniform. Thank you for the risks you have accepted and the sacrifices you will make because you have chosen to serve in this noble Service.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the demand for safety has become paramount in our daily lives, and the role of the Fire Service has become so important in the day-to-day activities of the citizenry. To meet this expectation of the citizenry, the Fire Service is expected: to focus on promoting Fire Safety, protecting people and property from fires, rescuing people from Road Traffic Accidents and entrapment from heights and depths and as well as dealing with other emergencies, such as floods.
The Command of the Ghana National Fire Service deserves to be commended for being very innovative in their efforts to ensure that the Service offers Rescue, Evacuation and Fire Protection and Management services to the people of Ghana.
Government is keen on the human resource and developmental leadership of the Fire Service and would continue to provide personnel, training, necessary equipment and other logistical support to make the Service more effective in delivering fire and rescue services to the people. In this direction, Government has already approved the recruitment of Two thousand (2,000) personnel into the Service to augment her manpower strength, and these graduating Cadets form part of the approved number.
The Council Chairman, Chief Fire Officer, Government shall continue to equip the various security agencies in the Country, including the Ghana National Fire Service, to perform their duties as required by law. To demonstrate this, Government has provided Two (2) Two-Storey Dormitory Blocks, One Single-Storey Dining Hall, a One 3-Storey Classroom Block, all of which are located here at the Fire Academy and Training School, which will be commissioned in the next few weeks.
Ladies and Gentlemen, plans are afoot to deliver other equipment to the Service, including Fire Tenders and Rapid Intervention Vehicles, in 2023.
Invited Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have witnessed a smart turnout of our graduating Cadets this morning, and I urge you as graduands to take enormous pride in all the hard work you have put in that has brought you this far.
Cadets, this is a day to celebrate all you have achieved over these past twelve (12) months of training and practical attachment. When I look at you, I see Officers willing to excel as Firefighters and ready to help in the forward march of the Ghana National Fire Service. You have held yourselves to a high code of conduct and have proven yourself worthy to be called Commissioned Officers in the Ghana National Fire Service.
May I take the opportunity to congratulate the award winners of Cadet Intake XXII. They are;
- Officer Cadet Dariling Naa Norkor Yeboah – Overall Best Officer Cadet,
- Officer Cadet Nathaniel Twum Ashong – Best Officer Cadet in Academics,
- Officer Cadet Kenneth Agbavor – Best Officer Cadet in Foot Drill, and
- Officer Cadet Vera Awinbono Ananga – Commandant’s Award.
It is my hope that the excellent performance that made you win these awards will not end here, but shall propel you to higher heights in your careers.
To the rest of you Graduating Cadets, you have excelled at one of the most selective and rigorous Fire Training Institutions in Africa. The Fire Academy and Training School is one of our Nations most prestigious Security Training Institutions, and you must be happy to be graduating from this Institution today. I also ask you to appreciate the Command of the Service, the Commandant and the Instructors of the Fire Academy and Training School who supported you and sacrificed for you so that you could be here today.
I congratulate you on behalf of His Excellency the President, on my own behalf, and on behalf of the people of Ghana, for joining the Officer Corps of this noble Service. I thank you for choosing a profession of saving lives and properties of the Ghanaian People. In the coming weeks, you will be posted to serve in various capacities at Fire Stations around the Country. As Officers, you will be responsible for the lives of those under your command, and you will be called upon to lead with wisdom, courage and compassion.
In this Country today, we have significant challenges in safety, with people being trapped and burning to death in their own homes. We have to address these challenges, and I look forward to seeing you bring your knowledge acquired at this Academy to help find solutions to such challenges. Your values as a Fire Service officer and your personal values should inspire you to help people in need of your services.
I urge you to take care of each other and of those under your command as long as you keep true to the values you have acquired here – Gallantry, Observation, Loyalty, Dexterity, Sympathy, Tact, Explicitness, and Perseverance.
I am confident that you will always remain one Institution in freedom and justice for all.
On behalf of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana, I have the singular honour of commissioning you, Officers of Cadet Intake XXII, into the Officer Corps of the Ghana National Fire Service.
Congratulations, Cadet Course Intake XXII.
God bless us all. Thank you!
