MAHAMA, NANA ADDO FOR 2013 NYUPED AWARDS

STORY BY: PIUS K. DOGBEY

President John Dramani Mahama and his fierce political rival in the 2012 elections, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo, are to receive this year’s Northern Youth For Peace Development (NYUPED) awards.

When President Mahama is being recognized for his monumental achievement in relatively short period in office and promotion of the peace in the three Northern Regions, Nana Akufo-Addo, is also receiving recognition for ensuring that peace prevailed after the 2012 elections as well as the aftermath of the just-ended Presidential election hearing.

The awards ceremony which is scheduled on Wednesday, 23^rd October, 2013, will also see other deserving personalities including Alhaji Amadu Sulley, a Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Doreen Owusu-Fianko a Managing Director of Ghana Airport Company, Nana Gabby Nsiah Nketia, former Ambassador to Korea, Chief John Addo Kufuor, Managing Director of African Regent Hotel, Mr. Roland Agambire, CEO, Agams Group of Companies and Alhaji Baba Kamara, a Senior Aide in the Office of the President, awarded for their enormous contribution toward the achievements.

The rest are: Apostle (Dr.) Kwadwo Safo, Founder and leader of the Kristo Asafo Church, Madam Afisah Zakaria, Director, Ministry of Health, Alhaji Yakubu, Chief Director, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Amadu Bawa, Country Representative, UNDP, Mr. Gilbert Iddi, CEO of Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), Alfred Nartey-Agbo, Executive Director, Ghana Youth for Peace and Progressive Development (GYMPED) Ghana and Emmanuel Ankamah Addo, CEO, Adinvec Limited and Board Chairman GYMPED Ghana.

A statement issued by NYUPED, a Non-Governmental civil society advocacy group working for human capital and infrastructural development of the three Northern Regions of Ghana comprising Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions in Accra yesterday, noted that the decision to award the aforementioned personalities was arrived at, at a recent meeting by the Governing Council and Executive Board members of the group.

“The Governing Council and Executive Board members of Northern Youth for Peace and Development…had at a recent meeting, decided to honour the following personalities in recognition of their great achievements within a short period of time, which have impacted the lives of many, especially the youth of our generation”, the statement indicated.

According to the statement, the novelty of the life and profession of these personalities, which informed NYUPED's decision to award them, stemmed from the fact that, they emerged from deprived communities and hopeless conditions in their respective Regions, to becoming mentors, role models and the hope for many youth without hope, in the three Regions in the North especially, and Africa at large.

The NYUPED which has been at the forefront in advocacy, to ensure that social equity is administered to the three deprived Regions in the North in the distribution of national resources and infrastructure development, also has as its institutional policy, to award personalities both in and outside the Regions, whose contributions, initiatives, mentorship and role-modeling have changed the perceptions of the youth, and have motivated them to achieve their fullest potentials and aspirations.

In this regard, the NGO has awarded in its 2011 edition, high profile personalities such as former President John Agyekum Kufuor, former Vice President, the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama, GNPA CEO Mr. Douglas Twumasi, UNDP Country Representative Her Excellency Madam Sandhu Rojon, Paramount chiefs, Youth Leaders, Opinion Leaders and elders.