Sports Minister named Peace Ambassador

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, was last Saturday named an Ambassador for Peace for the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The minister, who was not present during the ceremony, was given the role at the 2016 Peace Road event organised by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), at the Accra Sports Stadium.

According to the organisers, the honour accorded the minister was in recognition of his commitment and dedication to assisting sporting events aimed at promoting peace during the forthcoming elections. 

His citation, signed by the founder of the UFP, Rev. Dr Sun Myung Moon, read, "The UPF and the Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace (IIFWP) acknowledge, as Ambassadors for Peace, those individuals whose lives exemplify the ideal of living for the sake of others, and who dedicate themselves to practices which promote universal moral values, strong family life, interreligious cooperation, international harmony, renewal of the United Nations, a responsible public media and the establishment of a culture of peace.

"Transcending racial, national and religious barriers, the Ambassadors for Peace contribute to the fulfilment of the hope of all ages, a unified world of peace, wherein the spiritual and material dimensions of life are harmonised. The UPF and the IIFWP are proud to hereby recognise the minister as an Ambassador for Peace."

The minister's symbol of office was received on his behalf by the vice president of the Ghana Cycling Federation (GCF), Mr Teye Doku.

Earlier, the Peace Road event saw over 50 cyclists dressed in national colours take a leisurely ride from the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, through the Airport road, Sankara Interchange, Nima Ring Road, through the Adabraka main road before winding up at the Accra Sports stadium.