DON'T DESTROY QUASHIGAH; HIS LEGACY IS AN IDOL FOR THE YOUTH –ASAMANI

One must give on to Caesar what belongs to Caesar for a nation that does not honour her heroes is not worth dying for. One sole armed with truth, courage and dedication can change the destiny of a nation. Quashigah is an achiever, a hero, an initiator, an innovator and a change agent.

Going down memory lane, many across Ghana, Africa and the globe have described the Achievements of Major Quashigah (Rtd) as selfless and humane. Quashigah's achievements are those that will forever stand the test of time. Like his Master, the late Osagyfo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who never dies, Quashigah's name will forever live on. For as the saying goes, all shall pass away but the Words of God will remain the same. It is also fact to say that man will depart from earth, but his good legacies lives on and like wars that comes and go great soldiers will forever stay eternal.

Anyone who does not know Major Courage Quashigah very well must be told the true story; for his name, “COURAGE” is never his birth name. His true birth name is Emmanuel Kobla Quashigah and the name Courage was given to him during his secondary school days at Keta Senior High School where his envious exhibition of courage and bravery crowned him that name and since then has lived on with him throughout his lifetime. He was the only student in the history of that school to have held seven appointments all at the same time including the Assistant Head Boy, Band Leader, President of the Volta Region H. Y. Club, Drama Society and House Captain amongst others. Yet he passed his 'O' & 'A' LEVELS to enter the University of Ghana that he later quitted to joined the Ghana Military Academy.

Throughout the lifetime of the Good Old Major Quashigah, he has been seen as one of Ghana's Military Best who has distinguished himself as one of the best students in the British Royal Military Academy , Sunhurts graduating with an ACADEMIC DIPLOMA in Economics, War and Communication Studies. His exceptional distinction on the course won him the PRINCE ABDUL FAISAL AWARD FOR WAR STUDIES. In addition, he was awarded a CANE AND CERTIFICATE OF HONOUR for being the BEST OVERSEA'S CADET AND HIGHEST IN THE ORDER OF MERIT. He also attended and graduated from the United States Army Ranger School where he become the first Black African to date to emerge as the DISTINGUISHED HONOUR GRADUATE RANGER on one of America's Roughest and Toughest Military Leadership courses in competition with 146 Americans. There, he trained as an Airborne (Paratrooper) in order to operate on land, sea and air. The Ranger school is a leadership course that teaches a soldier what he or she is capable of doing under stressful situations. By nature of the course, an individual emerges a more confident, tactically proficient leader with the ability to accomplish any mission assigned.

He also attend the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College where he was named the EVERAND AWARD FOR ORATORY AND PRESENTATIONS recipient. The late General Mensah Wood also presented him with COMMENDATION FOR EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE COMMAND during Peacekeeping Operations in Lebanon, UNIFIL in 1980. Again he won the COMMENDATION FOR EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE ON THE CANADIAN STAFF COURSE, from General Emmanuel Erskine Forces Commander Ghana's one time Army Commander, in 1987.

Over the years as a soldier, Quashigah continued to demonstrate his physical fitnesss by engaging in different sports. His excellence in this area made him stand out in most of the events. He became the captain of the Royal Military Academy Sports Boxing Team and led the Team to several victories across many boxing clubs including Oxford and Cambridge Universities, the Naval College, the London Sporting Club amongst others. He received THE BALL CHAMPION CERTIFICATE in Inter-Syndicates Volleyball, Canada in 1987; CHAMPION CERTIFICATE in Inter Brigades Squash Competition, Ghana in 1978; LIGHT HEAVY WEIGHT CHAMPION MEDAL in Army Officers Boxing Tournament at Aldershot, Britain in 1971, FULL COLOURS FOR BOXING AND ATHLETIC in 1971 and 70 at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Britain.

“As you may all have heard of the saying that, if wise men refuse to be in politics they will end up being led by unwise”. Likewise with men and women of Quashigah, Baah Wiredu and Speaker of Parliament – Justice Banford Addo's Calibre in politics, Ghanaians will never be ruled again by the unwise. They are mentors for the youth. The youth will forever emulate their courage, boldness, innovations and the “I can do spirit” so that Ghana will no longer be ruled by the unwise.

“Throughout history, it has been the inactions of those who should have acted, indifference of those who should have known better, and the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most that has made it possible for evil to triumph”

The actions of Major Quashigah will never allow the evil to triumph, but rather give voice and hope to the voiceless and future to the next generation. Quashigah is never afraid of the future and not a slave of the past. He has an impeccable record and an unprecedented history that the youth are proud of. In fact, he is one of Ghana's most successful military politicians who does and do his work in the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Like father like son, Quashigah was trained as young pioneer during Nkrumah's era. He blends both capitalist, socialist and rangers attitude in all his leadership positions and excels distinctively in them. No doubt, he is a true fun of Nkrumah.

Quashigah's exceptional achievements and working experience dates back to 1972 when he joined the 1st battalion of infantry as a platoon commander and then as an instructor at the Junior Leaders Company in Kumasi in 1974. Straight from the Rangers School in the US in 1978 that trains commando's he was appointed the Intelligence Officer at the Headquarters of the Second Infantry Brigade, Kumasi; Chief Instructor, Jungle Warfare School, Achiase; Chief Operations Officer at the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) Headquarters; Commanding Officer of the Ghana Military Police. As the Commanding Officer of the Ghana Military Police, he transformed the Unit into a highly professional and respected unit in the Ghana Armed Forces and making the unit the best at that time.

He also became the Commanding Officer for the Force Reserve Battalion (64) and Directing Staff at Ghana Military Academy and Training Schools.

Major's unfortunate high security political detention in 1989 at the Bureau of National Investigation for two and half years incommunicado was a blessing to many inmates who were also on detention. Today, they talk about how he kept them busy throughout the day training them in physical fitness and Marshal Arts, organizing singing practices and innovative games. Some of them have told their stories with tears, saying anytime they were released to go home and he was still there, they cried like babies. He survived that gruesome detention to the surprise of many people since he was kept in one room with little ventilation.

Major's love for music actually brought about a lot of change into local music industry. Kojo Antwi on the 7th of November, this year lauded the Great Old Major for his envious achievements in music for initiating Healthy lifestyle living. Ghana's most celebrated musician said this when about hundred Ghana Dimona Alumni's met in Accra. Kojo Antwi declared Music as medicine explaining that it forms an integral part of regenerative health. Historically, Major's dynamism and innovation made him introduced local songs into military march music after convincing the late LT. Col. Larbi in 1973, the then Capt. and Director of the Ghana Armed Forces Central Band. For the first time this was played in 1974 during the 13th January, Parade with the first two slower marches “De Sror de Afe and Madzi Agbanam”. This is an idea he brought from the Royal Military Academy Band in Sandhurst, Britain. Since then, a lot more local songs have been added to revolutionize Military March Music to the admiration of all Ghanaians.

Today, national security services, schools and churches are dancing to the tune of this legacy. What a great man; truly he was a young pioneer because Osagyefo's spirit can be found in him.

Quashigah has touched and made impact on many lives. After Quashigah having been trained in Germany by the Frederick Newman Foundation in civil society and local government, political strategy planning and local governance in the early 90's, he used his newly acquired skills to train a number of organizations in Ghana and Nigeria in planning and organization. In his efforts to do this, he organized a lot of workshops for the following organizations; the Business and Professional Women (BPW) (GHANA), Private News Paper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) and International Federation of Economic Journalists (IFEJ). Others are the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and Nigeria Association of Small Scale Industries (NASSI). The rest are the Africa Leadership Forum (ALF Nigeria) and Business and Professional Women (NIGERIA).

In 1992, Quashigah joined the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and was made a Member of the Publicity Committee and National Organisation Committee from 1994 – 96; to canvas for support to contest in the 1996 elections. Having lost the 1996 elections, he was elected in 1998 as the first National Organizer. During his tenure, he developed a political strategy and manuals, trained polling agents and particularly parliamentary candidates, displayed envious leadership skills and oratory before the people of Ghana, which contributed immensely to the victory of the Party in the December 2000 elections. When he was appointed Minister of Food & Agriculture from 2001 - 2004 by President Kufour's Administration, for the first time in many years, Ghanaians experienced abundant food supply all year round. Again, the perennial post harvest losses were significantly reduced. The ministry also effectively promoted the processing, storage and packaging of agricultural products while ensuring that Ghanaians eat nutritious diet from locally produced foods, commodities and products. Value addition to every thing was his hallmark. This unique characteristic won him the MINISTER OF THE YEAR in 2003 by Ghanaians. In the same year, he was crowned the PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR.

When the NPP was given the second term of office, he was appointed Minister of Health in February 2005. Initiatives such as Regenerative Health and Nutrition Programme are some of his landmarks that are aimed at promoting healthy living, long life and creating wealth through health.

His extraordinary performance as FORMER GHANA'S HEALTH MINISTER whose works have led to the adoption of quality health system based on Dimona Health Delivery Experience (An African Hebrew Israelites Community); and the introduction of a paradigm shift in Ghana's Health Delivery with emphasis on promoting Preventive Health, Regenerative Health and Healthy Lifestyles. This has now become the focus of discussion across Africa and even in Britain today. Britain has voted over 70 million pounds to health education. Ghana the pace setter and initiator of this initiative is still trailing behind.

This ingenuous approach to health delivery was vividly projected during his press briefing on “Creating Wealth through Health, a New Paradigm for Ghana's Development” in 2005 and to the Commonwealth Health Ministers Conference in Geneva in 2006 and the African Union Health Ministers Conference in South Africa in 2007.

This has led to the institution of the celebration of every Last Friday of February each year as Africa Healthy Life Style Day by the African Union Commission last year. Quashigah has added another continental celebration to that of the birthday of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah making Ghana proud and indeed the pace setter in Africa's development. Continued    Source: Mawuli Kobl Asamani