Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged award-giving organisations in the country to be circumspect and judicious in the selection of recipients to avoid unnecessary controversies that usually characterise such awards. 

He said the beneficiaries of such awards must be people of integrity and values whose selection must not be in dispute.

President Mahama made the remarks when he received the incoming executive members of the Board of the Millennium Excellence Foundation in his office in Accra. 

Patron

They were appointed by the distinguished Life Patron, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

He described the Millennium Excellence Foundation as one of the most prestigious award giving organisations which had the capacity to select deserving recipients of their awards.

The visit to the former President was to introduce the new board members and also to brief him about their preparations for the Silver Jubilee celebration of the Asantehene.

The new board is chaired by Nana Poku Agyeman, with Ashim Morton, Rev. Dr Lawrence Tetteh, Patricia Poku Diaby and Subhi Accad as members.

The other board members are Prof. Elsie Effa Kaufmann, Alex Dadey, Mike Thakwani, Dr Kwaku Oteng and Catherine Morton.

 In attendance at the meeting were the 2020 Running Mate to President Mahama, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman, and the former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah.

Former President Mahama, who was a previous recipient of the Distinguished Lifetime Award in 2015 in recognition of his contribution to humanity, congratulated the new board, remarking that, “it is a star-studded board that radiates a lot of confidence.”

Extolling the foundation’s credibility, the former President urged the new board to continue the good work of their predecessors to reflect the good office of their Life Patron, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, emphasising that the awards scheme was a motivation to many people as it helped them to feel appreciated because they know that their work was being recognised. 

 Foundation

Speaking on behalf of the group, the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Nana Poku Agyeman, indicated that apart from the coveted awards, the foundation had also set its eyes on youth development and as such had been engaged in several youth development projects.

SOURCE: GraphicOnline