Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, Executive Director of The Ark Foundation and Chairperson of the Civic Forum Initiative, has criticized the decision to award Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia the highest national honor after his significant defeat in the 2024 presidential election.
According to a report by Myjoyonline, Dr. Bawumia, the flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), received the “Order of the Star of Ghana – Officer Award” during the National Honours event on December 30, 2024. The award recognized his contributions to religious tolerance and national unity.
While Dwamena-Aboagye acknowledged the achievements of some of the other recipients, she expressed concern over the optics of awarding individuals, particularly government appointees, after a considerable loss in the election.
She emphasized that, even if these individuals deserved recognition, the decision to honor them amidst widespread public dissatisfaction could be seen as partisan.
She raised the question of whether anyone with an opposing view, despite being a citizen, could also be deserving of such awards.
“Is there nobody deserving of an award who expresses an opposite view from yours, even though the person is also a citizen?” she asked.
Despite recognizing Dr. Bawumia’s accomplishments, Dwamena-Aboagye concluded that awarding him the highest honor, following his electoral defeat, could be perceived as ridiculing him.
“When you give him the highest award when he has just lost massively, you put him into ridicule,” she stated, suggesting that the decision undermines the dignity of both the award and its recipient.
Discussion about this post