Bundase (Ningo/Prampram), July 13, GNA – Mr Nelson Kyeremeh, Member of Parliament for Berekum East has presented food items to soldiers of the Third Battalion Infantry (3BN) of Sunyani undergoing training at the Bundase Training Camp in the Ningo-Prampram District.
The items were: 60 cartons of fish, sacks of maize, rice, cooking oil, and boxes of canned tomato paste.
The soldiers are training in preparation for peacekeeping duties at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, (UNIFIL Ghana Battalion 89).
Mr Kyeremeh presenting the items said his constituency fell under the jurisdiction of the 3BN and therefore visited them and other security agencies whenever he visited his constituency.
He indicated that when he heard that they were in Accra for training towards peacekeeping in Lebanon, he decided to visit and support them towards the responsibility as they have been contributing to the peaceful environment in his constituency and the region.
He said security was a shared responsibility therefore the need for all Ghanaians to support the security agencies to discharge their duties effectively, adding that civilians could also contribute to this by visiting them and support with some of their needs instead of leaving everything to the government.
The Berekum East MP stated that “I call on everybody including civilians to see how best to support and motivate them to train always, it is our responsibility, when terrorist strike, they don’t care who you are, and the soldiers are the only lifeline to fall on, so we need to help them to get the needed training.”
He called for bridging the gap between the security agencies and civilians to get corporations in promoting and maintaining peace in the country, adding that the media must also broadcast the good works of the security instead of only dwelling on a few mistakes.
Lieutenant Colonel John Yaw Kwarteng, Commanding Officer of UNIFIL Ghana Battalion 89 on his part said Ghana had been participating in peacekeeping duties for many years, adding that every year a unit of the Ghana Armed Forces was assigned to train for the mission.
Lt. Col. Kwarteng explained that the 3BN located in Sunyani had been designated to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and was the number 89 Ghanaian battalion embarking on the mission.
He said as part of the mission, they were in Bundase to train for two months between May 30 and July 29 before embarking on the mission.
He expressed gratitude to the MP for following up to the training camp to check on them and present the food items to them which he said would help them in many ways as they mostly take their rationing from the Military Command.
Lt. Col. Kwarteng acknowledged that training even in peacetime was important as that provided them with the skills to do what they must do during wartime.
He added that it was not only the government’s responsibility, to ensure they trained, stressing that “if the country was peaceful, it was for everyone.”
GNA