Bismark Bebli
4 July 2008
President John Agyekum Kufuor has stated that contrary to plans of some political groupings to spurn the national reconciliation with contempt, his administration would do everything possible to reconcile the nation. This, he said would be the legacy he would leave for Ghanaians.
"This is the legacy that I would like to leave behind and I shall continue to work towards that till my last day in office and into the future", he said. The President noted that the National Reconciliation Commission was established in 2002 with the sincere belief that it would be the starting point of national healing and a sense of well-being across ethnic, religious and political divide. He regretted that 'the good faith of this necessary gesture was being spurned with contempt by some particular political group, but the government's commitment and sincerity would not be shaken.
President Kufuor was speaking at the national honours day event held in Accra yesterday, where he was also decorated with the highest award of the land, Grand Order of the Star and Eagles of Ghana, by the Chief Justice, Mrs. Theodora Georgina Wood.
He said Ghanaians deserve to be happy and to be governed by enlightened laws, derived from the national constitution.
To him, the government would continue to uphold the laws that apply to all without fear or favour, saying "it is an environment of peace, security and a sense of goodwill towards one another that Ghanaians can develop to their fullest potential."
His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor, who described the NPP flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, one of the recipients of the award, as his heir apparent, urged all the recipients and the whole nation, to be champions of peace and reconciliation in order to sustain the steady momentum of the nation's development, towards a prosperous future that beckons it.
President Kufuor, in extending a hand of friendship to all Ghanaians in his quest to further build the nation in peace and unity, said the nation cannot afford to lose focus at this crucial time, stressing that "under no circumstance should we permit ourselves to be distracted from our mission. Rather, Ghanaians must reach out to one another within the society and bring everyone on board for national development, irrespective of tribe, religion, gender, social status or political affiliation."
According to him, this was the spirit in which the nominations for this year's award have been made to reflect the government's policy, the different areas of the national economy and the urgent need for reconciliation.
Mr. Kufuor said the theme was to improve upon all areas of weakness and maximize benefits to be derived from hard work, humanity, warmth and resilience of the people, which include the building and strengthening of various Institutions of governance, to make them strong pillars of democracy, to promote peace and reconciliation, as well as the welfare of the citizens.
According to him, due to the nation's chequered history and the tension from within the society, some past leaders stayed away from administering the national honours.
He noted that this has created a huge backlog of hardworking Ghanaians whose distinguished services should have been acknowledged by the state.
On the controversy surrounding his decision to award himself, the President had this to say: "I have observed that the law establishing the award of national honours did not provide specifically for an award for the Head of State, which is the biggest office of the land. Today, I wish to announce that by the powers vested in me by the constitution, as President and Head of State of the Republic and after wide consultations, I have instituted a new award, solely for Presidents of the republic.
"It would be known as the Grand Order of the Star and Eagles of Ghana, as symbolized in the nation's Coat of Arms, to complement the State sword which is currently the main symbol of office."
According to the President, the Order of the Star and Eagles was to be the highest honour of the nation. He said, henceforth every new President would be given the colour of the order as he or she is sworn into office, to be worn on all formal national occasions.
President Kufuor said on successful completion of the term of office, the President would be presented with a replica of the colour, if he or she so desires.
"This is the rationale governing my decision to institute the order of the Star and Eagles of Ghana as the top of all the state awards created since 1960."
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Ghanaian Chronicle. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
