The late Major Courage Emmanuel Kobla Quashigah (Rtd) was born on the 9th day of September, 1947 at Kedzi near Keta in the Volta Region of Ghana. He was the first child of Mr. Livingstone Kofi Quashigah popularly called My Happiness and Madam Celestine Dede Katey Dokli both of blessed memory. He started his formal education at the A.M.E Zion School, Kedzi and during his confirmation into the A.M.E Zion Church, Courage selected a biblical verse which will become very significant in his later years. ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is heaven – Mathew Chapter 5 Verse16’ Between 1962 and 1969, he had his secondary education at the Keta Secondary School where he obtained his G.C.E. ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level Certificates. He was the only student in the history of Keta Secondary School to have held seven appointments all at the same time including the Assistant School Prefect, Leader of the Afro Echoes Band, President of the Dramatic Society and House Captain amongst others. His aspiration to be a leader at all levels saw him grow up steadily and he consolidated his dreams by naming himself COURAGE to mark his recognition of that value as a key guiding principle. His unique performance in drama crowned him BEST STUDENT in PUBLIC SPEAKING in 1965 and BEST ACTOR in 1968. In between his ‘O’ and ‘A’ level certificate education, Major Courage Emmanuel Kobla Quashigah (Rtd.) taught for one year as a pupil teacher at the A.M.E Zion School where he is still fondly remembered for his portrayal of the character of Modecai in the play entitled ‘Esther the beautiful Queen’. He also spent another year at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation where he worked as an accounts officer while honing his skills as a public speaker by hosting programmes at various places including the LIDO, Blow Up, Tip Toe and Star Hotel. In the pursuit of higher knowledge he gained admission at the University of Ghana, Legon in 1969 but left after a few weeks to the Ghana Military Academy where he also had an admission. After nine months of intensive military training, Courage was selected on merit to continue at one of the most prestigious Military Academies in the world, the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (RMAS) in the United Kingdom in 1970. The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) develops leadership in cadets by expanding their character, intellect and professional competence to a level demanded of an army officer on first appointment through military training and education. Courage graduated as second lieutenant in 1972 with an academic diploma in Economics, War and Communication Studies. His display of exceptional distinction in all areas of the course won him the PRINCE ABDUL FAISAL AWARD FOR WAR STUDIES and a CANE AND CERTIFICATE OF HONOUR for being the BEST OVERSEAS CADET AND THE HIGHEST IN THE ORDER OF MERIT. On his return to Ghana in 1972, Courage joined the 1st Battalion of Infantry as a platoon commander where he also played as a member of the HOT BARRELS BAND and later as an instructor at the Junior Leaders Company in Kumasi in 1974. Thirty One years before US President Barack Obama became the first black to be elected in the United States of America, Courage had set a record as the first Black African to date to emerge as the DISTINGUISHED HONOUR GRADUATE on one of America’s roughest and toughest Military Leadership courses – the RANGER COURSE. He was trained as an AIRBORNE (PARATROOPER) RANGER at the United States Army Infantry School (USAIS). The Ranger School is a leadership course that teaches a soldier what he or she is capable of doing under very, very stressful conditions. By the nature of the course, an individual emerges more confident, tactical and proficient with the ability to accomplish any mission with distinction. The Ranger School wash out rate was averaged 60%. This means only 40% of those admitted get to graduate. Ranger Quashigah smashed all the records and set new ones to the awe and admiration of Course Instructors. He was named the RANGERS’ RANGER. From the Ranger Course, Courage was appointed the Intelligence Officer at the Headquarters of the Second Infantry Brigade in Kumasi and Chief Instructor at the Jungle Warfare School at Akim Achiase. He was among the few gallant soldiers called to serve as the security backbone of the shortlived military government of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) which handed over power to an elected civilian government in 1979. In 1980, Courage was among the Ghanaian contingent that took part in Peace Keeping Operations in Lebanon and for his excellent performance, he received COMMENDATION FOR EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE COMMAND from the then UNIFIL Forces Commander, General Emmanuel Erskine. Courage was again called into action during the days of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) and served as Chief Operations Officer at the Headquarters which was situated at the Gondar barracks and a 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, a legacy that has stood the test of time. He also became the Commanding Officer of the Forces Reserve Battalion (64th Battalion). Courage’s moment of national fame and recognition came, when he, together with a hand full of loyalist soldiers displayed innate chivalry by storming the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation on foot to dislodge some dissident soldiers who had taken the whole nation hostage with the announcement that they had overthrown the PNDC government. His speech that day, still rings on the minds of those who were courageous enough to come out from under their beds to listen to their radio sets. Major Courage Emmanuel Kobla Quashigah also became a member of the Directing Staff at the Military Academy and Training Schools and also served as a member of the Police Council. He also studied at the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College and the Canadian Staff School in 1987. In 1989, Major Courage Quashigah studied at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College where on graduation he received the EVERAND AWARD FOR ORATORY AND PRESENTATIONS SKILLS. As a Soldier, Courage never ceased to demonstrate his desire to be physically fit at all times. His excellence in the area of sports made him stand out in most events. He became the captain of the RMA Sandhurst Boxing Team and led the team to several victories over several boxing clubs including the Oxford and Cambridge Universities, the British Naval College, the London Sporting Club amongst others. For his achievements he received several awards including the FULL COLOURS FOR BOXING AND ATHLETICS in 1970 and 1971 at the RMA Sandhurst, the LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONS MEDAL in the Army Officers Boxing and Athletics tournament of 1971 at Aldershot in Britain. A CHAMPIONS CERTIFICATE in inter Brigades Squash Competition, Ghana in 1978 and The BALL CHAMPIONS CERTIFICATE in Inter-Syndicates Volleyball in Canada in 1987. Music has always been part of his success. He was a great dancer, a great singer, and a great drummer. His dynamism and innovation led him to convince the late Lt. Col. Larbi in 1973, then a Capt. and the director of the Ghana Armed Forces Central Band to introduce local songs into military march music which were played for the first time in 1974 during the 13th January parade with the first two slow marches being ‘De Sror la Afe’ and ‘Midzi Agbanam’. Since then a lot of local songs have been added to the repertoire of the band effectively transforming Military march music to the joy and admiration of Ghanaians. To everything there is an end. Major Courage Quashigah’s brilliant military career effectively came to an abrupt end when he was arrested and detained at the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for two and a half years without charge. In 1992, after being released from detention and discharged honourably from the Ghana Armed Forces, he took part in a workshop in Civil Society and Local Government Organization in Germany. Due to his excellent performance, he was invited again by the Frederick Neuman Foundation to be trained in Political Strategy and Planning. He was also trained in South Africa by the same organization in Facilitation and Moderation. With his newly acquired skills, Major Quashigah helped in the training of several organizations including the Business and Professional Women (BPW - Ghana), the Private News Paper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) and the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industries (NASSI) among others. While in Secondary School, Courage joined the Young Pioneers Movement of the CPP and quickly rose to become a troop leader which gave him a firsthand opportunity to play key roles in Youth Development, so when in 1992, Ghana opted to go the democratic path, Courage, after much consideration decided to join the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He later became a member of the Publicity Committee and the National Organization Committee from 1994 to 1996. In 1998, he contested and won the position of the first National Organizer of the party. He developed strategies and manuals and trained polling agents and parliamentary candidates. He vigorously campaigned with his colleagues including the then candidate Kufuor, Nana Akuffo-Addo and Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey and immensely contributed to the victory of the party in the December 2000 elections. Under the new administration, Major Courage Emmanuel Kobla Quashigah was appointed Minister of Food and Agriculture and served from 2001 till 2005 during the first term of the Kufuor Administration. During his tenure, Major Courage Quashigah worked tirelessly with his staff at the Ministry to ensure that there was abundant food supply all year round. 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 diets from locally produced foods, commodities and products. For his sterling performance at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, he was adjudged the MINISTER OF THE YEAR in 2003 by Ghanaians and in the same year he was crowned THE PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR. In 2005 during the second term of the Kufuor administration, Major Quashigah was appointed the MINISTER OF HEALTH. Initiatives such as Regenerative Health and Nutrition Programme which aimed at promoting healthy living, long life and creating wealth through health were some of his landmark achievements. After ensuring that this new paradigm was captured in the National Health Policy launched in September, 2007 he took it a step further when he delivered a speech on Regenerative Health and Nutrition at the Commonwealth Health Ministers’ Conference in Geneva and the African Union Health Ministers Conference in South Africa. His efforts were crowned by the AFRICAN UNION DECLARATION ON RENEGERATIVE HEALTH which selected the last Friday of February each year to be commemorated as Africa’s Healthy Lifestyles Day. Major Courage Emmanuel Kobla Quashigah crowned all his efforts and laurels with the ORDER OF THE STAR OF THE VOLTA, COMPANION DIVISION which was confered on him by then President of Ghana, John Agyekum Kufour. Few people knew that for the last eight years of his public service he had endured excruciating back pain. But everyone who knew him knows, that he was a man driven to see our nation and people show forth their full potential and greatness. Most times he would ignore his own discomfort and be the first to wake up and go to work each day. He wanted to make certain that he was contributing his quota to the national effort, often to the sacrifice of his own well-being. After the 2008 elections he had more time to pay some attention to his own condition and was examined and treated here in Ghana. Upon receiving an invitation to be interviewed in the “Enlightened Speakers Series” under the auspices of the Institute for A New Humanity, a Conflict Resolution Center operated by our brothers and sisters of the African Hebrew Israelites of Dimona, Israel, he decided to also take the opportunity to have a second opinion on his condition. It was during his examinations at the hospital in Israel that it was realized that unfortunately, things had turned for the worse. And still his conversation was not so much for himself, but of the needs of Ghana. On the morning of the 5th of January 2010 he spoke for the last saying he has been called to a HIGHER SERVICE FOR MANKIND and took his last breath. MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PERFECT PEACE.