Four Ministers, 20 others, awarded for their nobility
Accra, Oct. 22, GNA - Four Ministers and 20 other people, made up of business men and technocrats were on Friday awarded for their nobility by the West Africa Nobles Forum, a non governmental organization that promotes integrity, accountability and visionary leadership.
The Ministers were Major Courage Quashigah, Minister of Health, Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries, Mr Samson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister and Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister for Private Sector Development and PSI.
Dr Dee Otibu Asare, Executive Secretary of the West Africa Nobles Forum (WANF), said the organization was campaigning against corruption, immoral behaviour and other social vices, hence the need to award people who separated themselves form such vices.
Other people awarded include, Justices George Kingsley Acquah, Chief Justices, Major Gen. Richardson Baiden, Mr. Kofi Dua Adonteng, MD of Ghana Post, Mr Kofi Frimpong Amoakohene, Mr Mahami Yidana, Emmanuel Aboagye, Lucia Akosua Kwakye, Alhassan Haruna, Metro TV, Nana Kofi Agyei Twinin and Douglas Antwi Mensah
The rest are Mr/Mrs Lincoln Donkor, Alexander Afyeno Markin, Enoch Lamptey Mill, John Mensah, Emelia Asiakwa, Josiah Ako-Korsah, Frank Opoku, Prince Aikins Adesane, Opanyin Obeng Fosu and Mr Samuel Nuamah Dankwah, all businessmen and technocrats.
The people awarded were in a way inducted as members of the Forum. Dr Asare said the Forum has over 600 nobles across West Africa and described members as honest, morally upright and righteous, saying they abhor corrupt practises.
He said WANF was pushing forward a legislation that, if passed in parliament, would prescribed a dress code for the youth, especially those in higher institutions, saying that is to campaign against pornography, in the country.
Dr Asare urged various governments in Africa to be honest to themselves and to the governed.
"We are building an army of honest people, eagles in business, politics and government. We are assembling men and women who will say no to corruption, immorality and injustices that have become clogs in the sub-region's wheel of progress," he added.
Major Courage Quashigah, urged the forum to help educate Ghanaians about the need to maintain a clean environment, and said the country needed proper health care delivery, instead of medical care. He explained that, "In the country now, we do not have health care we have medical care, because until someone has malaria she does not go to the hospital."
The Health Minister said there was the need for people to do things that will prevent illness, than to wait to be ill and go for medical care.
Mrs. Gladys Asmah, sharing thoughts about her ministry announced that Israeli and Chinese investor have shown readiness to invest in the Ghanaian fishing industry.
She said the fishing industry was a serious money making venture and urged Ghanaian investors to equally show interest in the industry. Mr. Kwesi Abeasi, former manager of the Ghana Investment Promotion Council, who chaired the function, said an effective tool to motivate other people was to acknowledge their good work and reward them. He mentioned greed, corruption and unnecessary envy as factors that impede the growth of Africa.