The Rt. Rev. Col. John Kwamina Otoo (rtd), a Member of the National Peace Council, has called for a collaborative effort to protect the peace of the country.

He said protecting the country’s peace was a collective responsibility, and not just a duty reserved for the National Peace Council (NPC).

Speaking at a joint graduation religious parade for officers and civilians who will be graduating with Master of Science in Defence and International Politics at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), at Teshie in Accra, Rt Rev Col Otoo, who served as a former Chaplain of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), said peace was a shared responsibility.

Clarifying the role of the NPC and Ghanaians in safeguarding the nation’s peace for the 2024 elections, he emphasised the need for vigilance and collective responsibility, while cautioning against the tendency to raise unnecessary alarms.

“Many people think that whenever we (Peace Council) hear anything, we must raise the flag, but that is not our work,” he said.

“Peace is from all of us, as the voices of those who want power continue to go up and up to the highest level, please let us remember that the peace we enjoy is at a cost,” he added.

Preaching on the theme, “He that much is given, much is expected," Rt Rev Col Otoo whose sermon was premised on the Book of Luke 12:48, urged the graduands to leverage the skills and knowledge they had acquired from the programme to sustain and add more value to the gains made by their bosses in their respective workplaces.

In his address, Air Vice Marshal (AVM), Maxwell Mantsebi-Tei Nagai (rtd), the Guest of Honour, and a former Chief of the Air Staff, urged the officers to lead by example by pursuing truth.

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“Remember that military leadership is not about funfairs, promises, accolades or loud applause,” he said.

AVM Nagai, who noted that master’s programme in addition to the command course will enhance the performance of the officers both locally and internationally, said a much better service was expected of them.

He urged the civilians to allow the knowledge and experiences acquired from the College to impact society.