Lieutenant Commander Prince Sebastian Okyere of the Ghana Navy emerged as the second-best graduand of the Senior Command and Staff Course 47 at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), earning him the Chief of the Naval Staff’s Award for his outstanding academic and professional performance.
He was among 90 military officers who graduated during the College’s 50th Anniversary Joint Graduation Ceremony held at Hamidu Hall, Teshie, on Friday 21 August 2026.
Thirteen (13) Ghana Navy officers were part of the graduating class, comprising 64 officers from the Ghana Armed Forces and 26 from allied countries, including Benin, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Togo.
The graduation marked the successful completion of the one-year professional military education programme, designed to equip senior officers with the knowledge, skills and competencies required to undertake higher command and staff responsibilities.
The Guest of Honour and Minister for Defence, Honourable Gilbert Kenneth Adjei, underscored the critical role of well-trained and strategically minded military leaders in safeguarding Ghana’s national security. He noted that the evolving and complex nature of contemporary security threats required leaders who could anticipate challenges, make sound decisions and effectively protect the nation’s interests.
Addressing the graduands, the Commandant of GAFCSC, Major General Jackson Wonje, congratulated them on successfully completing the demanding programme and described the achievement as an important milestone in their respective military careers.
Major General Wonje further noted that the graduation coincided with the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of GAFCSC, describing the College as a centre of excellence in professional military education that has, over the years, contributed to shaping generations of officers who continue to serve and lead with distinction in Ghana and across the African continent.
He urged the graduands to apply the knowledge, values and lessons acquired during the course as they assume new and greater responsibilities.
Certificates were subsequently presented to the graduands in recognition of their successful completion of the programme, while special awards were presented to officers who distinguished themselves through outstanding academic and professional performance.
The Chief of the Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Godwin Livinus Bessing, was present at the ceremony, alongside senior military officers, dignitaries, faculty members, families and friends of the graduands.
The achievement by Lieutenant Commander Okyere underscores Ghana Navy’s continued commitment to professional military education, excellence and the development of competent officers capable of providing effective leadership at the strategic level.
Story by: Winifred Laryea and Rosemary Apekey
Pictures by: Ebenezer Adu-Saforo
