Write books to expand military knowledge - CDS urges soldiers at book launch
Personnel in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have been encouraged to write books to help expand the frontiers of military knowledge.
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The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, said a lot of misrepresentations had been churned out on military and security matters, which many of the officers could help set the records straight by publishing historical truths and factually verifiable information for the benefit of the uninformed.
“I see a lot of stalwarts whose personal profiles will not only make interesting reading but also teach life-changing lessons to posterity while immortalising your memory in the annals of literary works,” the CDS said in a speech read on his behalf by the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Issah Yakubu, at a book launch in Accra last Thursday.
The book
The book, titled “The Military My Life”, was written by Brigadier General Daniel Kwadwo Frimpong (retd). It essentially chronicles the trials and tribulations he went through in his 43-year military career.
It invariably provides information about some of the major historical events of the 1970s and 1980s and also gives a personal experience of the dramatic, and often tragic events between the 1979 and 1982 period, when attempted coups, coups and counter-coups were the order of the day.
The twists and turns in the fast-changing events of the period are vividly described and the roll call of memorable military officers, some of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice of death, are distinctly described in the book.
Habit of reading
“The pen is mightier than the gun and the faintest ink is sharper than the sharpest brain, penning down our memoirs like what General Dan Frimpong has done and contributing to public discourses on topical national and global issues, create a long-lasting impact on generations yet unborn, a value that no amount of money can buy,” Vice Admiral Amoama stated.
He also urged the officers of the force to motivate writers by patronising the published books.
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The Chief of Defence Staff said that with the advent of electronic libraries which could be carried in small devices such as cell phones and tablets, reading materials had become easily accessible and cost-effective and, therefore, encouraged them to adopt the habit of reading frequently.
Prolific writer
Vice Admiral Amoama commended the author, whom he described as a prolific writer, having won several awards including the Distinguished Service Award from the Advisory Board of the Ghana Association of Writers in 2019.
“I've had a personal relationship with our award-winning author and the General and I can attest to the fact that he is not only a prolific writer but his productivity and efficiency cuts across every facet of his life,” the CDS said.
He said the motivation for his craving to read Brig. Gen. Frimpong’s book when it was first introduced was to find out what made him so efficient in whatever he did.
Upon reading the book, Vice Admiral Amoama said, it did not take long to discover that the author did not just pass through the military but allowed the military to shape him.
Author
For his part, Brig. Gen. Frimpong recounted his formative years as a student at Burma Camp, as well as other military barracks schools and later joining the army at 17 after Mfantsipim School and spending the next 43 years soldiering.
He also appealed to the young officers to document their experiences in the military to help prevent others from rewriting history wrongly.
“So long as we don’t write, we will always have to reinvent the wheel.
I will crave your indulgence that please write and in that way, we will keep history intact,” Brig. Gen. Frimpong said.
He said the military was a profession underpinned by integrity and, therefore, urged the officers to remain dedicated to their duties and continue to uphold integrity in their service to the nation.