Mills turns down National Award

Accra, June 30, GNA - Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Leader and Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), on Monday turned down his nomination for a state honour on July 3. In a statement issued to the press on Monday, he wrote: "I have, after very careful reflection, come to the conclusion, regretfully, that I am unable to accept the award of Order of The Star-Companion, for which I have been nominated by President John Agyekum Kufuor. "Were I convinced that accepting the award would help promote national unity, reconciliation, social cohesion and also enhance multi-party democracy, I would have wholeheartedly accepted it. However, events following my nomination give me cause to doubt that." Prof. Atta Mills becomes the latest known NDC official who has turned down the state award. The others are former President Jerry John Rawlings, former National Security Coordinator, Captain Kojo Tsikata (Rtd), Mr Alban Bagbin, Mr Doe Adjahoe and Mr Enoch Teye Mensah. The NDC on Friday said the essence of the national awards had been debased by the government and called for urgent steps to restore respect and value to state awards.

The NDC said, the party shared this sentiment, held by majority of the public as a "fall-out from the controversial decision of President Kufuor to confer state awards on himself and 268 others as well as some foreign nationals".

A statement signed by NDC General Secretary, Mr Asiedu Nketia said state awards were meant to recognise achievement and merit of the highest level in the service of Ghana or to humanity at large, while celebrating distinguished service worthy of recognition and is expected to be conferred on principles rather than political convenience. "Indeed the full list of award winners reveals a cynical ploy to confer state honours on President Kufuor himself and almost his entire cabinet and Government, using a few NDC officials as tokens of justification and even-handedness in the process.

"To accept these honours in the face of the controversy generated within the NPP circles following the nominations with the attendant indecent attacks on our leader Prof. Mills by key elements within the NPP, who went on to demand the inclusion of their flag bearer Nana Akufo-Addo in the same category as Prof. Mills, is to condone the hypocrisy and deception of the NPP government."

The statement said the conferment of State Awards was fast losing its true significance and a review of the entire process was necessary to restore relevance and pride to national honours.

Until this is done, the NDC said, it was urging all party officials to decline the awards even as they may have individually acknowledged their nominations.

"As part of its agenda, when it assumes office, the NDC would set up a broad-based council, independent of the political establishment to undertake a comprehensive review of processes leading to nominations for National Awards."