This 2025 national cadet leadership training camp for 717 participants from the sixteen (16) regions of the country, is underway at the Sogakope Secondary School (SOGASCO) in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region. The training camp is under the theme, ‘Discipline And Loyalty, A Call To Review And Reset’. It is expected to among other things imbibe into the students, the values of discipline, loyalty and service to the society and country at large among others.
The weeklong leadership training session is under the auspices of the National Cadet Corps, Ghana. It is expected to transform the lives of the participants into disciplined students who would also touch the lives of other colleagues in their respective schools thereby maintaining a high level of discipline in senior high schools across the country.
Officers from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) as well as other security agencies would take the participants through the leadership lessons during the weeklong camp.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for South Tongu, Hon. Victoria Dzeklo was the Special Guest of Honour and Reviewing Officer at the opening ceremony. She inspected a Guard of Honour on arrival mounted by the Cadet Corps before joining the main event for the opening ceremony, graced by representatives of the various security agencies in the area.
Opening the camp, the DCE noted that the camp is more than just a training programme, adding that it is a life-shaping experience for the participants. According to her, leadership is not about rank or title but responsibility, humility and the courage to make the right choices for the benefit of the society.
Hon. Dzeklo urged the participants to serve and lead with integrity and also hold onto their values as well as those of the society and the country at large. ‘As strong as we are, we must be disciplined and dedicated. So you have to be disciplined and dedicated people to bring the change that we are all looking for as a nation. Let that change begin with us’, the DCE intimated.
She was hopeful that the camp would be a memorable and transformative experience for the young participants and lauded the leadership of the National Cadet Corps for the initiative.
The National Cadet Coordinator General, Nicholas Nii Tettey-Amarteifio noted that the training camp is part of the efforts by his outfit to help curb the challenging canker of indiscipline in various schools across the country in recent years. According to him, the camp is to among other things instil discipline and time consciousness in the participants.
Mr. Tettey-Amartefio used the occasion to appeal to government and all stakeholders to give additional support and resources to the National Cadet Corps, Ghana to enable it improve upon cadet operations and services in various schools across the country. He also called on government and the various security agencies to seize the golden opportunity to absorb the qualified participants on completion of their studies into their fold in order to satisfy their desires and aspirations of contributing their quota to the development of the country.
The Headmaster of SOGASCO, Newman Dziedzoave described the school as one of the best in the region, excelling in disciplines and other areas of academic and social spheres. He described the camp as welcoming, adding that it would go a long way to improve discipline in senior high schools.
Mr. Dziedzoave used the occasion to renew his appeal to government to support the 65-year old school with and Assembly Hall, a pick-up as well as additional residential and classroom accommodation infrastructure for both staff and the students.
He called on the participants and all and sundry to be citizens, remain loyal and also disciplined in order to achieve greater laurels from the camp session.
Due to lack of enough resources for such engagement programmes and training camps, the participants themselves also contributed financially towards this year’s leadership training camp alongside other stakeholders including government who are also supporting the camp in one way or the other.
The DCE accompanied by some of the dignitaries later interacted with some six (6) students who were receiving minor medications due to malaria as well as one form of fatigue or the other. The military medical team was also treating one other cadet student diagnosed of chicken pox infection on arrival at the camp. Hon. Dzeklo encouraged them to be strong and wished them a speedy recovery.
Story: Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Sogakope
