Adenuga wins top Ghanaian Award
The government last Saturday conferred national honours and awards on 33 people, made up of 26 Ghanaians and seven foreign nationals, for their outstanding contributions to Ghana's socio-economic development.
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"Today we celebrate you for making Ghana one of the shining lights in the midst of regional uncertainties, for making Ghana rise from the midst of global economic crunch, for giving our people hope in the midst of a general world outlook of despondency and insecurity, fuelled by illiteracy, poverty and disease, unemployment, wars, terrorism and other human rights abuses,” President John Dramani Mahama said at the awards ceremony at the Accra International Conference Centre ( AICC).
The foreign nationals were Dr Michael Adeniyi Ishola Adenuga Jnr, Rev. Fr. Vincent Burke, Madam Margaret Alice Langdon, Prof. Christian Gordon, Prof. Gordon Woodman, Prof. Chukwuka Okonjo and Rev. Sister Margit Ohmatch.
The highest award - the Companion of the Star of Ghana - which insignia includes an 18-carat gold and the Coat of Arms of Ghana, was conferred on Nigerian billionaire business tycoon, Dr Adenuga Jnr. President Mahama presented the award to him before the main ceremony at the AICC.
Dr Adenuga, founder of a chain of businesses, including telecommunications giant, Globacom, is said to have assets valued at over $8 billion in Ghana.
Companion of the Order of the Volta
Those honoured in the Companion of the Order of the Volta category were Commodore Steve Obimpeh (retd), Alhaji Huudu Yahaya Iddrisu, Dr Kwabena Adjei and Mr Kofi Totobi Quakyi; all former ministers in the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administrations.
The rest were Vice Admiral Matthew Quashie, a retired Chief of the Defence Staff, Major General Richard Opoku-Adusei, a retired Chief of the Army Staff, and Real Admiral Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro, a retired Chief of the Naval Staff.
Officer of the Order of the Volta
In the Officer of the Order of the Volta category, those who were honoured were Mr Michael Asafo Boakye, Prof. (Mrs) Esi Awuah, Prof. Fred Binka, Prof. Joshua Alabi, and Rev. Fr. Burke.
Member of the Order of the Volta
Fifteen people who were conferred with the Member of the Order of the Volta were Dr John Kwasi Bello, Prof. Joseph Kpakpo Acquaye, Prof. Joseph Odai Oliver-Commey, Prof. Samuel Kwadwo Owusu, Rev. Dr Seth Mensah Ablorh, Dr James Edward Mensah and Justice Rose Constance Owusu.
The rest were Madam Langdon, Mr Andrew Tonto Barfour, Prof. Gordon, Prof. Woodman, Prof. Okonjo, Prince Emmanuel Asare, Rev. Sister Ohmatch, and members of the Ghanaian 4x100 relay team that won gold in the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica. They included Ebenezer Charles Okotor Addy, B.K. Mends, Stan Allotey and J.A. Addy.
Grand Medal
Two Ghanaians, who were honoured with the Grand Medal (posthumous) award, were Emma Helen Banga and Anna Kate Codjoe.
President hails them
Paying tribute to the awardees, President Mahama said they "left an indelible mark on Ghana's forward march”.