Lebanese community awards scholarships to wards of fallen heroes

For the second successive year, the Lebanese community in Ghana has honoured the memory of fallen heroes and heroines of the Ghana Armed Forces by awarding 14 scholarships to wards of soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty both within and outside Ghana.

The scholarship scheme is a replication of the support given to other needy brilliant students across the country.

According to the Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Ali Halabi, the gesture was a means of “eulogising our fallen heroes and heroines who offered themselves willingly to the service of mankind”.

“The history of the Lebanese community in Ghana dates back to a century ago. Some members of the Lebanese community have witnessed it all - Ghana’s journey to independence, the creation of her institutions and the various power transitions, among other accomplishments. We are also fully aware that the peace Ghana prides herself on is through the effort of the security services,” he said.

Ghana’s role in UNIFIL

Mr Halabi further stressed the role of the Ghana Armed Forces in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) operations since its inauguration when the southern part of his country was ravaged by war.

He disclosed that since 2013, the Lebanese community had been awarding scholarships to Ghanaian students in various tertiary institutions in the country and this was the second time the gesture was being offered to dependants of martyrs of the war

The Chief of the Defence Staff, Air-Marshall Sampson-Oje, observed that over the years, Ghana had established a perfectly mutual relationship with Lebanon and the gesture was simply a solidification of the relationship.

“While the Ghana Armed Forces have played a major part in helping to bring peace and stability to Lebanon, Lebanon, for its part, has provided diverse assistance to Ghana,” he said.

Good gesture

Air-Marshall Sampson-Oje maintained that the gesture was a form of encouragement to the Ghana Armed Forces because it meant that whenever duty called, soldiers ought to put their hearts into its execution, as they were aware that there were good people like members of the Lebanese community who would not abandon their families when the worst happened.

The Minister of Defence, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, also showered praises on the Lebanese community while detailing the numerous collaborations between Ghana and Lebanon.

It is on record that the Lebanese community has awarded 150 scholarships to students of the Ghana, Institute of Journalism (GIJ), the University of Ghana as well as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), since 2013.