Accra, July 6, GNA - Ghana's first female Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood and 77 other individuals were on Friday recognized by being awarded state honours for distinguished service to the nation.

Chief Justice Wood together with the Omanhene of Juaben Traditional Area, Nana Otuo Serebour II and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Paul Acquah, received the Order of the Star of Ghana, the highest state honour.

The other awards were in three categories, Order of the Volta (Companion), Order of the Volta (Member) and the Grand Medal. The recipients cut across all fields of human endeavour, including politics, education, public service, medicine, industry and commerce, religion, social service, arts, music and sports. President John Agyekum Kufuor, who was on hand to decorate them with their honours, called for dedicated and selfless service from all Ghanaians to enhance national productivity. He said they should accept at all times, to strive to outdo themselves.

"Like the Olympic medallist, we should seek to surpass existing limits to set new records hitherto deemed unattainable. This way, Africa, including Ghana, can excel in the competition and thereby carve a dignified niche for itself in the Global Village." President Kufuor noted that inherent in the present world of globalisation, were myriads of opportunities, which were not restricted to Ghanaians or Africans alone but open to others around the globe. The ability to take full advantage of these opportunities, he said, demanded best skills, self-application and innovative thinking. Public/private partnerships together with closer relations between research and industry had also become part of the new approaches to socio-economic development.

President Kufuor said Government would continue to acknowledge those who excelled in their fields of endeavour and expressed the hope this would inspire all to do their best in the service to their communities and the nation.

Nana Otuo Serebour said it was their expectation that as a nation "we shall continue to strive towards creating a national environment that nurtures creativity, rewards risks and encourages excellence". It was their expectation that the noble intentions that moved the Government to institutionalise the annual awards ceremony would serve as a challenge to all Ghanaians to pursue excellence, wherever they found themselves.
Among the winners were Professor F.O. Kwami, former Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr Jones Ofori Atta, Economist and Politician, Dr G.K. Agama, Banker, Mr Paul Victor Obeng, Politician, Professor Akilagpa Sawyer, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, the Reverend Professor E. Addo-Obeng, Vice Chancellor, Cape Coast University, Naa Professor J.S. Nabila, Traditional Ruler and Educationist, and Mr Kwaku Owusu, alias "Kowus", an Industrialist.
The others were Professor S. Ofosu Amaah, Medicine, Professor Holdbrooke-Smith, Orthopaedic Specialist, Dr Edward Atterh Narh, Physician Narh Beta Clinic, Ms Alice Darkoa Asare, President of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association, Mr Smart Y. A. Chigabatia, Civil Servants' Association, Professor Atukwei Okai, Writer, Poet and Educationist, Mr Freddie Blay, Politician, Mr K.S.P Juantuah, Politician, Nana Kwame Ampadu, Musician and Ike Quartey, Boxer. 6 July 07