We Need To Give Befitting Honor To Our Heroes

Mr. Koku Anyidoho former Presidential Director of Communications was right when he expressed desire for us to honor national heroes when they are alive. After following the success story of his former boss he felt late Professor Mills deserved a fitting honor while alive and not now that he passed on to eternity. Having been close to him as Law Lecturer, Vice President and President he had a better appreciation of whom and what the late president was. Mr Koku Anyidoho, said on citi fm that despite the several glowing tributes paid to late President Mills, the situation clearly indicates that Ghanaians do not honor their living heroes.

His position, he reveled, is informed by the fact that the former president was not given due recognition while he was alive.

even though he appreciated what is being done to honor Professor Mills he said “It is just sad that we did not honor him in his lifetime only to be doing this at this time, but his legacy will live on” he stated. Even though he was spot on with his views about the late president one still wonders why professor Mills and President Rawlings failed to receive a national award meant for them by the Kufuors administration. That award would have been recorded in his name now that he is no more. But we have to respect his reason and that of President Rawlings to reject the awards. When one gets closer to all presidential aides past and present, they are bound to support the need to honor leaders while they are alive. I don’t think those close to Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Dr K.A Busia, Dr Limann leaders of first second and third governments respectively and even Gen Kutu Acheampong would say nothing different from what Koku Anyidoho said regarding our heroes. The former presidents and even some military leaders would have people to vouch for them for their contributions to the nation. The time has come for us to begin a process of honoring our heroes while they are alive. When we look round we realize that we have living legends in Ghana currently. Without prejudice to the number of honors given them we need to honor Presidents J. J. Rawlings and J A. Kufuor. They are regarded as our surviving leaders that is why they are invited to take part in major national and international conferences and meetings for a on behalf of Ghana. If we don’t give them fitting honors, we would not have justifiable reasons to honor the current and future Presidents. The best honor to be extended to these men is to institute measures to stop hurling insults on them and to place them in a good class in the society by creating a’ who is who’ honors book for them and other heroes of Ghana. This must be followed with fitting settlement plans acceptable to all and meant for all past leaders. We might reconsider their modest settlement packages consolidating all that has been prescribed for them already. Apart from the head of states we have statesmen among them businessmen traditional rulers, head of public institutions, members of the clergy (some of whom have set up universities and businesses that employ many people) and those Ghanaians who have served the nation abroad who have excelled in their areas of operation. Dignitaries like the Asantehene and Togbe Afede and many like them who have done a lot for the nation in the areas of education, peace building and sports etc., deserve to be honored and special mention with monuments built for them. Busumuru Kofi Annan and notable Foreign Service staff need more from us for what they have done for Ghana. My good friend Tsatsu Tsikata has been mentioned as someone who deserves an award and I say why not. Those who fought to achieve freedom of press by fighting for the repeal of the criminal libel law cannot be forgotten in this scheme of honoring our heroes. For but for sacrifices of men like Charles Wireko Brobbey, Kweku Baako, Kwesi Pratt, Alhaji Haruna Atta and Eben Quarcoo and many others including yours truly, the media landscape could not have been freer. We can extend our awards and honor to men like Reverend Osei Kofi, Sunday Ibrahim and others like them who in the past blazed the trail representing and making Ghana proud through soccer for almost no reward. Today their efforts have led to us dolling out thousands of dollars to the current crop of footballers. Most of them are cedi millionaires and they deserve all that. We need to do away with our struggle and cross current media exchanges for turf based on our differences. Instead we must agree to work as one people, in one nation with a common destiny by honoring our compatriots who deserve honors. The need to honor all those who have fought and continue to fight for our nation irrespective of our differences requires serious consideration and endorsement by all

Executive Director EANFOWORLD for sustainable development. 233244370345/ 233 8844791/233264370345 Abdulai.alhasan@gmail.com