Following the promotion of the Chief of the Defence Staff by President John Evans Atta Mills from Major General to Lieutenant-General last week, the Board of Trustees and the entire membership the Holy Spirit Commandery, Adabraka of the Knights of St. John International have sent a congratulatory message to him. Lieutenant- General Blay, who is a committed member of the Noble Order of KSKI, is a staunch Catholic gentleman and a parishioner of the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka. He was very overjoyed that Major-General Blay has been appointed to serve in the high office of the Ghana Armed Forces. “We wish to congratulate you and express our extreme excitement at the news of your promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General. “We are most thankful to God for yet another blessing. As your brothers and fellow soldiers in the army of God, we receive the news with a great sense of pride and joy and deem it a privilege to have a man such as you in our midst. Indeed your feats have preceded you and have made room for you. “We are most grateful to God for the glory he has showered upon you. You have proven to be a pencil well sharpened by God and held in his hands; no matter the situation you continue to write clearly leaving legible marks for all to see and learn from. “For us it is yet another opportunity for you to exhibit your fortitude as a knight of St. John and also to leave up to the tenets of the ministry of our patron saint, St. John the Baptist. We assure you of our unwavering spiritual and physical support to ensure your success. “It is our prayer that God will continue to use you as a vessel to bless this nation and may you forever raise high the banner of Jesus. “May God grant you the sense of character to sustain you as you carry out you duties,” the group said. The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Most Rev. Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle assured the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Major-General Peter Augustine Blay that the church would do everything possible to support him in his administration as CDS so as to enable him discharge his duties diligently in his new assigned role. “I can only say that I am very proud. When Mrs. Justice Joyce Bamford, who is also a parishioner of the Holy Spirit Cathedral, was elected the Speaker of Parliament, we wrote immediately to congratulate her. However, when Major-General Blay was appointed as CDS, we have not been able to get in touch with him. So I would use this opportunity to congratulate him. It is good for us at the Cathedral to have such role models, particularly to show them to the youth and let them know that in the service of the nation the church has a very big role to play,” he emphasised. Most Rev. Palmer-Buckle stated that the Speaker of Parliament has a big responsibility towards the political development of the country, whilst the CDS, the security of the nation is definitely in his hands, but not only that, particularly the motivation of our soldiers who he said, are doing so well wherever they have gone to outside Ghana, giving the nation so big honour and laurel. “If there is anything at all, we should be more proud of our soldiers and be more proud to know that the CDS comes from our fold. Definitely, soldiers have a big responsibility: protecting the land, protecting the people and particularly creating this very good relationship between the Military, the security services and the ordinary public. So if people see him coming to church from time to time, I think it would make them know that soldiers are ordinary men who also need a lot of spiritual guidance or are struggling for spiritual development. I am proud to have him as a member of the Holy Spirit Cathedral,” the Archbishop stressed. “Let me also make it known that the NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma South, Fritz Baffour and NPP MP for Suame, Isaac Osei are both parishioners. So you can see that we have a responsibility towards both parties and above all towards our dear country Ghana. “All I will say is that, with God being on your side, there is no way you can fail. So the Lord is on their side, they must make sure that they are also on the side of the Lord, and we have no reason for them to fail but rather to do what must be done to do it well for the greater glory of God and for the service of our nation Ghana,” he added. For his part, the CDS, who is a member of the Holy Spirit Commandery #431, Adabraka of the Knights of St. John International and a member of the St. Vincent Society, said he called on the Archbishop to let him (Archbishop) know what the Lord has done in his (CDS) life, saying that in his new assigned job, he needs God’s guidance and direction. “I called on my spiritual leader because I need infilling and spiritual nourishment and for that matter, get the assurance from the Archbishop that he would be always there for me in prayers. Since the Archbishop has given me the assurance that his doors are invariably open for me, I have to take advantage of that invitation to visit him regularly, and I am grateful for that,” he maintained. Major General Blay wished Ghanaians who have been given the chance to serve the nation in various capacities, and reminded them never to forget the Lord, stressing that unless the Lord builds, the labourer builds in vain. Credit: Innocent Samuel Appiah/The Heritage