AYEKOO. AWARD RECIPIENTS

IN his congratulatory message to the recipients of the National Honours Award in Accra yesterday, President J. A. Kufuor said, "With generous hearts and an appreciative spirit, let us as one, irrespective of our tribes, religion, sex or political affiliation, acknowledge these distinguished men and women who have been singled out today for awards. No matter our differences, Ghana requires our collective efforts in order to harness the rich resources of the land for national progress and prosperity.”
The President hit the nail right on the head when, at the awards ceremony, he reminded Ghanaians to reach out to one another within the society to enable each one to contribute to national development, irrespective of tribe, religion, gender, social status or political affiliation.
It is unfortunate that during the run-up to the awards ceremony the sharp division in the country reared its ugly head again, culminating in a boycott by a section of the political divide. This development must be a pain in the neck of all peace-loving Ghanaians who look forward to the day when arch-political rivals can sit on the same platform to share pleasantries and ideas for the common good of society.
As things stand now, it appears that a section of society appears to situate every government action in the arena of politics and, just like the saying, "give a dog a bad name and hang it", they make desperate efforts to label decisions of the government as misguided and myopic.
But looking at the personalities who went on stage to receive their awards from the President yesterday, one cannot help but applaud the government for an all-inclusive celebration of excellence in the country.
Development is not only about brick and mortar or bread and butter but also of all the processes that ensure the total well-being of the people. Thus, the attempt to denigrate some of the award recipients as undeserving of honour is not good enough. They, in their own small way, have contributed their quota to national development.
The 2008 awards have now become history, but as we reflect on the National Honours Award programme, we should work extra hard to bring everybody on board in future.
The DAILY GRAPHIC congratulates all the award recipients on well-deserved honours which must spur them on to achieve greater laurels for themselves and the country.
But, as we begin the journey for another award next year, it will be appropriate to explore all the possibilities for national healing so that next time around those who stayed away will be compelled to participate in the event and receive their honours.
To all the recipients, the DAILY GRAPHIC says Ayeeko. We urge you to keep the flame of patriotism and nationalism burning to serve as a guide to the youth.
The ceremony lived up to its billing as a national awards ceremony and we encourage the next person who will take over the mantle of leadership from President Kufuor to consolidate what has been achieved so far to ensure that all unsung heroes and heroines in the remotest parts of the country can be reached for national recognition.
Prosperity and fame beckons the country. We should not allow it to slip by on the altar of political expediency. Through concerted efforts, the national spirit shall prevail in our attempt to build a united, solid and prosperous country by the year 2015.