The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) has conferred honorary degrees on former President John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Susubribi Krobea Boaten Asante, the Paramount Chief of Asokore Asante.
President Kufuor received the Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) award, while Nana S.K.B. Asante was honoured with the Distinguished Professor award.
At a Special Congregation convened by the Council of the Institute on Thursday, GIMPA said the award was in recognition of their service to the country in their respective capacities and for their “moral courage, intellectual honesty and integrity as public servants.”
The Institute recognised President Kufuor for his distinguished public service, his role in the economic and social transformation of Ghana, and his contributions to peaceful conflict resolution in Africa and globally.
For Nana Asante, Mr. Kofi Darko Asante, Chairman of the GIMPA Governing Council, stated that the award acknowledged his significant contributions to humanity and the legal profession, as well as his status as an exemplary role model for excellence in public service.
Former President Kufuor served as the President of the Republic of Ghana from 2001-2009.
During that period Ghana witnessed major structural engineering of the economy through social intervention measures in education, health, and infrastructural development.
Within the same period, President Kufuor served as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, overseeing negotiations which brought peace and major post-war reconstruction in Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Liberia.
Nana Asante is an astute legal practitioner and pioneer Lecturer in Law (1961-65) and Acting Head of the Law Department at University of Ghana (1962).
He was also the first Ghanaian to serve on the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce.
Nana Asante served as the Chairman of the Committee of Experts that formulated the proposals for the 1992 Constitution which has achieved the longest duration and earned Ghana peace and stability.
President Kufuor described the honour done him as “great pride” and thanked the Council of GIMPA for the recognition.
The Former President expressed concern about the spate of misinformation and disinformation in the media, citing the “distortion” of facts in a recent interview he granted on illegal mining and the arrest of some demonstrators as case in point.
President Kufuor said disinformation and misinformation was a threat to the nation and urged the media to “operate with true regard” in the interest of the nation.
He appealed to GIMPA to lead conversations that would bring practical and long-term solution to the illegal mining menace.
Nana Asante described the recognition as humbling and thanked President Kufuor for the opportunities he offered him to serve the country in different capacities.
He emphasised that Ghanaians possessed the expertise needed to develop the country and advocated for appointments to be made based on merit.
“Ghana should operate a system of meritocracy in public service,” Nana Asante said.
Professor Samuel Kwaku Bonsu, Rector of GIMPA, praised the awardees for their exemplary leadership and their commitment to the growth and betterment of society.
“They have exemplified the qualities that make GIMPA who we are,” he said.
