Ugandan military delegation calls on Osu Traditional Council

A fifty-member military delegation from the Ugandan Peoples' Defence Force Senior Command and Staff College has called on the Osu Traditional Council at the Osu Chief's Palace in Accra to study the country's culture and traditions.

The visit formed part of the delegation's week-long study tour at the Kofi Annan International Peace-keeping Training Centre (KAIPTC).

The delegation, made up of 10 directors and 40 students, was from Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa and Southern Sudan.

Peaceful country
The Commandant of the Staff College, Lt Gen. Andrews Gutti, who is also the leader of the delegation, said Ghana was chosen out of West African countries for the training because of the peace the country enjoyed, the friendly relations existing among its people and the country's record in peacekeeping on the African continent.

He said they were in Ghana to study the origin of civilisation and the nation's culture and that they saw Ghana as the home of civilisation and also to familiarise themselves with how the nation had been able to live as one people.

Lt Gen. Gutti said what they had learnt would impact positively on their duty of ensuring unity among their people in their respective countries.

Roles
The Paramount Chief and President of the Osu Traditional Council, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, who received the delegation, briefed them on the role of chiefs, also known as traditional rulers, in nation building.

He said as a chief, one was recognised in one's community as a father, for which reason one was expected to communicate directly to one's people and also lead them in developing the communities.

Nii Dowuona said there were different clans with different traditions but due to regular meetings and interactions, coupled with inter-marriages among the people, there had always been unity and peaceful co-existence among them.

There were traditional performances to showcase the culture of Osu and the Ga tradition to the admiration of the delegation.

Present at the meeting were some sub chiefs and elders of the council.