Anane, Bartels, IGP To Receive Awards ?

Kufuor’s Shocking 2nd Batch of Awardees
The Enquirer newspaper has picked up credible information from the Castle, Osu that a new list of award winners, which is expected to bounce to the fore, may cause more controversy among Ghanaians.

According to some sources close to the Presidency, the list is so controversial that there is a bit of hesitation on the part of some key officers in releasing it.

Included in the list are dismissed Minister, Mr. Kwamena Bartels, Dr. Richard Anane and the shocker of all, ‘outgoing Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, the man under whose leadership the Police Service has been engulfed in unprecedented scandals that have led to public calls for his removal.

Another controversial aspect of the new list it that President John Kufuor has decided to honour his entire Cabinet state awards.

The Enquirer has learnt that already, there is murmuring within the government circles that many Ghanaians would see this award as self-serving and that it would be difficult to explain to the public that a President assessed his own government and concluded that members have performed so that they all deserved national awards. Some government sources preferred that the public who gave them the mandate to govern did the assessment of government and its officials.

How are we going to explain this to the public, that we have assessed ourselves and found out that we have done so well that we all deserve such high national honours?

It would obviously be seen as a self-serving move and I really do not want to attract any unnecessary attention to myself”, a government official said.In a separate development, four journalists are also slated to receive awards from the President. They include; Mr. Malik Kweku Baako Jnr; Editor-in-chief of the Crusading Guide, Mrs. Gina Ama Blay, Managing Editor of the Daily Guide, Mr. Kwami Sefa-Kayi, broadcaster of Peace FM and Ms Beatrace Aidoo, a veteran broadcaster of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).

Apart from Kwame Sefa-Kayi, who receives an award in the grand medal category, Gina Blay, Kweku Baako and Beatrice Aidoo are expected to receive awards in a higher category, the Order of the Volta (Member Division), which is ranked fourth in the five-category national awards.

It is recalled that President Kufuor’s first list released, which featured five prominent Ghanaians, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, Prof. Atta Mills, caused a political stir, with leading members of the NPP expressing strong reservations.

Members of the party indicated that a conferment of the highest national award on Prof. Mills by President Kufuor could give a boost to Prof. Mills’ presidential campaign at the expense of his party’s candidate, Nana Akufo Addo, who receives an award in a lower category.