Distinguished Ghanaians Honoured

President John Evans Atta Mills has conferred national honours and awards on 109 personalities who have distinguished themselves in national life. He lauded them for their dedicated service to state the nation.

The President, his Vice-President, Mr John Mahama and the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Wood, jointly confered the ultimate award, the Companion of the Order of the Volta on the Speaker of Parliament, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo.

Other personalities who were decorated by the President included elder Statesman, Harry Sawyerr, Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, Nana Agyewodin Adu-Gyamfi Ampem II, Mr Ernest Bediako Sampong, and Mrs Bridget Jubille Katsriku.

Others are ACP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, Mr John Eshun, Mr John Owusu Addo, Professor Marian Ewurama Addy, Mrs Stephanie Henrietta Baeta-Ansah and Hannah Yawson (Posthumous.)

The Black Stars team that qualified to the quarter final stage of the 2010 World Cup and the Black Satellites team that won the World Under-20 Tournament were also honoured.

The Presiedent said the honours and the awards were very important and underlined the clear indication that the receipients, in no doubt, committed themselves to national development in their various fields of endeavour.

'These honours have sent the positive sign that the personalities were not minful of what the nation can do for them, but what they can achieve for Mother Ghana, 'he stressed.

He said a lot of hardwork and efforts went into the choice of the awadees, noting that there were equally more dedicated and notable personalities who deserved such honours. He said, 'their time will come.'

President Mills said 'at this time we are able to showcase personalities, who through hard work and dedication propelled this nation to the present state. For many of you it has not been easy.'

He said the success chalked up by the awadees in their national life did not come on a silver platter.saying 'You have faced challenges but the fact that you were able to surmount these hurdles demonstrated your tenacity and determination to develop the nation.'

Speaking on behalf of the receipients, the Speaker, Mrs Bamford-Addo, expressed profound gratitude to President Mills, for recognising their contributions to the state.

She expressed the hope that the honours would serve as an example, particularly, to the youth, not to judge the fruit but the seed sown and underscored the need for the spirit of selflessness and devotion to duty, as a prerequisite for building a better Ghana.