The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has criticised President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for bestowing state honours on people he says are unworthy.
General Mosquito, as he is known in the political circles, believes persons like outgoing MP for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson and MP for Abetifi, Bryan Acheampong, do not deserve to be decorated with the honours given them by the President.
President Akufo-Addo on Monday, December 30, 2024, presented state honours to some distinguished Ghanaians who have helped served the nation in various categories.
Both Madam Hawa Koomson and Bryan Acheampong were ‘Member Awardees’ of the ‘Order of the Volta’, something Mr. Asiedu Nketia thinks has reduced the integrity of the awards.
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According to him, state honours are reserved for persons of repute whose contributions to the development of the nation are obvious for all, unlike the two named persons whose actions have been nothing good to write home about.
He alleged that the award ceremony had exposed the complicity of the government in mismanaging the economy and the misconduct exhibited by some of these honourees in the past eight years.
During his address at the 31st December Revolution commemoration of the NDC in Accra Tuesday, December 31, 2024, Asiedu Nketia noted that such awards, with their repute, should be reserved for individuals who have significantly contributed to national development, and not persons who have notoriously disgraced themselves as public officers.
He says he feels cheated that the NPP Chairman in his home region was not awarded, likewise the Ashanti regional Chairman, if persons like Hawa Koomson and Bryan Acheampong could be given such honours.
“The award ceremony that happened yesterday has cleared all the doubts that all the wrong things that were happening, all the wrong things that were committed by the appointees of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, were actually endorsed by the big man himself.
“Otherwise, why would anybody, with his head properly screwed up, award people like Hawa Koomson for shooting and killing Ghanaians during elections? Why should anybody be awarding a state honour to Bryan Acheampong?
“In fact, I feel cheated because the people of Bono Ahafo deserve to have one of the honours conferred on Abronye, our regional chairman, and I believe that the people of Ashanti will also complain about why Chairman Wontumi was not awarded,” he stated.
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