Lieutenant Colonel, Edward Sarpong Appiah, has been inducted into office as the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 66 Artillery Regiment in Ho.

The event, held at Saint Ignatius Catholic Church at the Ho Barracks, was graced by traditional leaders, the clergy, Heads of other Sister Security Services, well wishes and friends and families.

Rt. Rev. Lt. Col. Bliss Kofi Agbeko (Rtd), Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church Ghana, who was the guest preacher, said power and authority came from God, and asked Lt. Col. Appiah to put his trust in God, against any power of darkness.

On the theme: "Divine commission," the Moderator admonished the CO to seek divine direction in his day-to-day activities to deliver on his mandate.

Rt. Rev. Agbeko said whatever was commissioned to God, ceased to be an ordinary thing, and called on the CO, officers and soldiers of the Regiment to associate themselves with the word of God.

Brigadier General, Michael Amoah-Ayisi, General Officer Commanding (GOC), Southern Command, who was the guest of honour, described the ceremony as a milestone in the history of the Regiment and congratulated the CO on his appointment, saying the High Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, particularly the Army gave him the opportunity because of his high quality leadership skills.

The GOC charged him to exhibit high level of professionalism in his daily activities and seek the face of God for his appointment.

Brig. Gen. Amoah-Ayisi said in contemporary times of, terrorism, violent crimes, environmental degradation among others, it was important to think outside the box and demonstrate ingenuity to make progress.

Lt. Col. Appiah in his remarks, expressed appreciation to the Military High Command for the confidence reposed in him, and pledged to discharge his duties with high level of professionalism.

He assured the High Command of his loyalty, dedication and hard work, and thanked his predecessors, for their commitment and determination which placed the Unit at its current high pedestal.

The CO commended the officers, solders and civilian employees of the Regiment for their loyalty, support and commitment and asked them to continue to ensure the success of the Regiment.

Lt. Col. Appiah said his vision was to see highly motivated Unit with high standard of discipline, hard work and professionalism.

He said he would not relent in his efforts to ensure the welfare of the personnel was enhanced and would also develop measures to resolve any matter of concern.

He called for effective collaboration with other sister security services and support from the public to maintain the prevailing peace in Volta and Oti Regions.

"We will deal with anyone who tries to destabilize the two regions, he warned, and entreated the public to provide security services with information on activities of miscreants and lawlessness people.

He charged officers and soldiers of the Regiment to conduct themselves well at all times in the discharge of their duties.

Lt. Col. Appiah was born on December 2, 1976 in Accra. He obtained his GCE '0' Levels from Ofori Panin Secondary School in 1994 and 'A' Levels from Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (PRESEC), Legon in 1996.

He also obtained a Bachelor of Science (Honours) Degree in Botany with Biochemistry from University of Ghana, Masters of Science (MSc) degree in Defence and International Politics from Ghana Armed Forces Command Staff College (GAFCSC) and Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA)

Lt. Col. Appiah was enlisted into the Ghana Military Academy as part of Regular Career Course 44 in October, 2002 and was subsequently commissioned in April, 2005 from the Royal Military Academy, UK, after which he was posted to 66 Artillery Regiment as Lieutenant and a Troop Leader as an Artillery Officer.

He held other positions including; Platoon Commander, Intelligence Officer and Instructor/ Officer Commanding at the Army Recruit Training School, Officer Commanding Demonstration Company at the Jungle Warfare School, Achiase, Second-in-Command and Commander Rear of the 66 Artillery Regiment.

The CO also participated in a number of peacekeeping missions including; United Nations operations in Cote d'Ivoire (UNDCI) as Platoon Commander and Artillery Detachment Commander, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), as a Staff Officer among others.

Before his appointment as the Commanding Officer of the 66 Artillery Regiment, he was the Deputy Commanding Officer of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) GHANBATT 86.

He is married to Lily and the family is blessed with Eddie Junior. His hobbies include; football, swimming, table tennis and listening to countryside music.

There were intercessory prayers for the CO, the Unit, Military High Command and the Country at large.