VEEP OPENS COMMONWEALTH EX-SERVICE LEACUE CONFAB(Centre Spread)

22/07/08
Story: Mary Mensah & Gifty Appiah-Adjei
The Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, says Ghana aims at producing a new soldier that is well equipped, not only for warfare but also capable of fitting well into civil life after military service.
He said the modern training programme being spearheaded by the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre was, therefore, important to Ghana as well as beneficiary sister countries in Africa.
Alhaji Mahama was opening the 30th Triennial Conference of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Service League (RCEL) in Accra yesterday.
The three-day conference is being organised by the Veterans Association of Ghana (VAG) in collaboration with RCEL.
The Vice-President said Ghana was proud to host the conference, since that was an indication of how the country was highly regarded worldwide.
Alhaji Mahama said the conference would also afford Ghana the opportunity to express its gratitude to ex-servicemen, especially those who sacrificed their lives to achieve independence for their countries.
He called on the present generation to emulate examples of the ex-servicemen by fighting the modern-day battle of ideas for economic and social development, so that generations unborn would enjoy from their sweat.
The Secretary General of RCEL, Mr Paul Advise, said RCEL would consider an increase in grant for veterans to help improve their welfare.
He said so far, participants had visited the Burma Camp and the Christianborg cemetery to pay respects to the lost veterans.
Mr Advise also disclosed that the constitution of RCEL required that it met once in every three years, adding that the league was proud to have its 30th Triennial Conference in Ghana.
The Veterans Association of Ghana VAG) is a member of the league, which is a charity organisation for Commonwealth countries.
With 65,000 eligible veterans and widows identified, the charity acts as a link for ex-service organisations across the globe and provides welfare for those in need with the aim of ensuring that no ex-serviceman or woman is without help if in need.
The league organises conferences for delegates from all member organisations every three years, and the Accra Conference forms the 30th since the establishment of the league in 1921 in Cape Town, South Africa.