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National Honours and Awards 2023: President Akufo-Addo praises personalities for ‘exploits in favour of Ghana’
• President Akufo-Addo decorating Mr Henry Quartey
Men and women who had distinguished themselves in various aspects of national endeavours were decorated by President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the National Honours and Awards event held at the Accra International Conference Centre on Tuesday.
The recipients, with smiles and excitement, took turns to exchange pleasantries with the President as he adorned them with stunning medals and sashes.
President Akufo-Addo said the national event was organised solely in recognition of the services offered by the recipients towards the development and prosperity of the country.
“As President of the Republic, I can happily say that I am not aware of the political sympathies or views of the overwhelming majority of today’s awardees. Their politics is of no moment to me, only their exploits in favour of Mother Ghana,” he noted.
The event was attended by hundreds of dignitaries, including the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the Minister of Finance Mr. Ken Ofori Atta.
The list of awardees included international development partners, health workers and members of the COVID-19 Task Torce, and the team which won the maritime boundary dispute against Cote d’Ivoire in 2017.
Other individuals also honoured for their distinguished services inluded Ms. Margaret Sophia Darkwah, the first female Commissioner of Police; Prof. Akwasi Osei, former Chief Executive of the Mental Health Authority; and Dr. Veronica Agartha Martinson, former Executive Director of the Cocoa Research Institute, Ghana.
A picture is worth a thousand words and indeed, one of the striking images from the event was the interaction between President Akufo-Addo and the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. Henry Quartey.
Here are some extracts of the event.
By Spectator Reporter
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammy Awuku, has expressed deep sorrow following the sudden passing of Isaac Batsa, the constituency secretary for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker issued a statement on Tuesday reacting to the news, which has shocked the local political community.
Mr.Awuku praised the late NDC secretary for his bipartisan approach to local governance.
He noted that despite their different political affiliations, Batsa consistently rose above party lines to serve the constituency with diligence.
The MP revealed that the news was particularly shocking given that he had last interacted with Batsa just three days prior on Saturday.
Concluding his statement, Sammy Awuku extended his heartfelt condolences to Batsa’s family, the constituency and regional executives, and the entire NDC fraternity, wishing the deceased peaceful eternal rest.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
