for contributing to Okyenman Council

Kyebi, Dec. 9, GNA - The Akyem Abuakwa State Council has given recognition to eleven Akyem Abuakwa citizens for their contribution to the development of Okyenman at a colourful ceremony at Kyebi on Saturday.

Dr Justice Seth Twum, a Supreme Court Judge, led the pack of honourable Akyem Abuakwa citizens who received minted insignia and citation for serving their local communities at the first 'Okyeman Kanea' award ceremony.

The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panin, presided over the grand ceremony that took place at the Ofori Panin Fie (Palace) at Kyebi. Other recipients were Ambassador Yaboa Boafo, Mr Guggisburg Yaw Asante and Rev. Dr Asante Antwi, both Members of the Council of State, Professor Amoa Oduro, Professor S.K.B. Asante, Mr Akenten Appiah Menka and Mrs Loretta Vanderpuye of the Ghana Broadcasting corporation. The rest are a former Chief of Defence Staff, Lt-Gen. Aboagye Okai, a former Inspector-General of Police Mr S.S Omane and Miss Gytha Nunoo, an environmentalist.

With the exception of Mr Appiah Menka who was recognized for mobilizing financial and material resources for Abuakwa State College at the time the school was experiencing food shortages and Miss Nunoo for her Environmental advocacy, all the other recipients are Akyem citizens.

Those honoured posthumously are Dr J.B. Danquah, Dr Susanna De-Graft Johnson, the first female doctor of Ghana famed for entering the medical condition, 'kwashiorkor' in the English lexicon and Mr William Ofori-Atta.

The rest on the posthumous list were Reverend Anthony Antwi Beeko and Rev Kwadwo Sintim-Misa, both once heads of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and Robert Kofi Dokyi Ampaw, Ex-Director of the Research Branch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Dr Justice Twum has built an Early Childhood Development Centre at Akrofufu, Professor Kofi Amoa Oduro and Professor S.K.B. Asante have initiated and are funding scholarship schemes at Kukurantumi and Akyem Wenchi respectively for needy but brilliant pupils.

Profesor Oduro Amoa organized free medical outreach programmes in poor and deprived communities and is the first Ghanaian and third West African physician to qualify as Anaesthetist and co-authored the first ever text-book of Anaesthesia by an African Anaesthetist.

Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Paninin explaining the rational for the institution of the award said it was the duty of every society to honour its heroes so that they would know society is worth dying for. The Okyenhene said, "those who have created the path for us to follow must be praised and honoured" and "by honouring them, we will be creating a tradition for others to follow."

He appealed to the awardees to lead the state to a brighter future by placing their collective expertise and knowledge at the disposal of Akyem Abuakwa.

Speaking on behalf of the honourees, Dr Justice Twum appealed to Akyem Abuakwa professionals to support the Okyenman Council with monthly financial contributions to enable it rollout more socially sensitive programmes to benefit the people.