Ghana Navy’s (GN) Commodore (Cdre) Godwin Livinus Bessing has handed over command of the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) to Cdre Bright Emmanuel Kojo Atiayao as Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) at a brief but colourful ceremony at Nutekpor, near Sogakope in the Volta Region of Ghana.

As part of the ceremony on Friday 16 June 2023, the outgoing FOC Cdre Bessing inspected a 48-man Guard of Honour commanded by Lieutenant (Lt GN) Daniel Fredrick Otu – Acting Second-in-Command (2IC) of the Supply Application School (SAS), with band backing by the Ghana Navy Band.In his farewell address, Commodore Bessing said, to ensure the Command’s vision to be a world-class Maritime Training Institution that trains Officers and Ratings for leadership positions in the Ghana Navy and beyond, all the schools under NAVTRAC had commenced processes with various tertiary institutions to certify courses run by the schools: such as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the Ho Technical University (HTU), for courses run by the SAS.

Similarly, the School of Marine Engineering and Combat Systems (SMECS), Sekondi, the School of Maritime Operations (SMOPS) and the Leadership Training School (LTS), Naval Base, Tema, had all started discussions with the Takoradi Technical University and the University of Ghana Business School, to certify courses run by the schools.- Advertisement -

On developments at NAVTRAC, Cdre Bessing said in spite of the Command’s location being isolated, thus making it difficult to undertake projects to earn funds to support the Command, a water production factory had been constructed and commissioned and produces water known as NAVTRAC ICE for personnel of the Command at a reduced rate, whiles a tricycle had also been procured to aid the sales.

Cdre Bessing appreciated his staff and the District Chief Executive for South Tongu District – Mr Seth Agbi, and the Ghana Journalists Association, Volta Regional Chapter, for their support to the command, and hoped that same support will be extended to Cdre Atiayao, the new FOC.The Volta Chapter of the Ghana Journalist Association presented a citation to Cdre Bessing for the friendship he built with the Assciation and wished him well in his new appointment as the Defence Advisor to the Ghana High Commission to Nigeria.

Present were the FOC Eastern Naval Command – Cdre Maxwell Arhen, Director General, Medical Services – Brigadier General Raymond Kwabla Ewusi, Deputy Commandant, Training and Doctrine Command, members of intake 32, Senior Officers and Directors from the Naval Headquarters, and Executives of the Volta and Oti Chapter of the Ghana Journalist Association.

Cdre GL Bessing has been FOC, NAVTRAC from 11 March 2022, joined the Ghana Military Academy in January 1991 and was commissioned into the Ghana Navy Executive Branch a Sub-Lieutenant on 14 August 1992 as a member of Regular Career Course 32. He proceeded to India for the Basic Sub-Lieutenant Technical Course from September 1993 to March 1995, and in 1999, he was appointed Executive Officer (2I/C) of Ghana Navy Ship SEBO, and later captained same ship from 2004 to 2006.Between 1992-1993 and 1995-1998 he served intermittently onboard various Ghana Navy ships as part of the Maritime Task Force of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia and Sierra Leone. His staff and command roles include Assistant Director Naval Administration between 2000 and 2001; Liaison Officer with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from March 2001 to April 2002; Military Observer (MILOB) with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) between 2003 and 2004.

He was Commanding Officer, Basic Leadership and Training School at the Eastern Naval Command Tema from 2006 to 2007; Member of Directing Staff (DS), Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) in 2007 and between 2009-2010; Military Observer, United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) from 2008 to 2009, and served as a member of the Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command & Staff College in Nigeria from 2010 to 2012.He was posted to the Ghana Armed Forces General Headquarters from 2012-2013 as Assistant Chief of Staff, Personnel & Administration where he served for one year and proceeded back to the Ghana Armed forces Command and Staff College as Chief Instructor, Naval Faculty from 2013-2014.

The Commodore is a graduate of the University of Ghana with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Statistics on 6 Nov 1989; the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) where he earned a Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Administration on 4 Jan 2005, and holds a Master of Arts Degree in International Affairs from the University of Ghana. His appointment before being FOC was Chief Staff Officer at the Naval Headquarters from August 2019 to March 2022.