Presidential candidate aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former Minister of Railways Development, Joe Ghartey, has received the coveted Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Award.
The Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours was presented to Hon. Ghartey; Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyeremanteng; for Trade and Industry Minister, Ekow Spio-Garbrah.
In all, 15 former and serving ministers of state were honoured at the maiden Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours held in Accra last Saturday.
The other awardees included former Greater Accra Regional Minister, Prof. Joshua Alabi; a former Defence Minister, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor; a former Minister of Information, Nana Akomea; a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hackman Owusu Agyemang; a former Minister of Tourism, Catherine Ablema Afeku; a former Minister of Works and Housing, Kwamena Bartels.
Others were former Minister of Local Government and a former Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Julius Debrah; a former Minister of Energy, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah; Majority Leader in the current Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; and the Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh.
Event
Organised by Big Events Ghana, the award ceremony was meant to recognise the contributions of former and serving ministers of state towards the development of the country.
It was a night of glamour and music performances as people from all walks of life, including chiefs, musicians, actors and other distinguished personalities converged on the Movenpick Hotel to celebrate the statesmen.
“This Award is given in recognition of your sterling performance as a Minister of State in the Republic of Ghana, serving with DISTINCTION and EXCELLENCE in the performance of your duties to the people and nation of Ghana in the Fourth Republic. Ghana truly appreciates you. Congratulations,” a citation presented to Hon. Ghartey read.
In all 297 Ministers in the 4th Republic were nominated from the Rawling’s era to Akufo – Addo’s tenure and 15 were chosen.
In the Akufo – Addo’s era, Hon. Ghartey, Catherine Afeku, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu and Mathew Opoku Prempeh, were awarded.
Hon. Ghartey once served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General under the former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s government.
He was Railways Minister under President Akufo-Addo from 2017 to 2021.
Under his watch, the railways sector which was once dead, received a major boost. He spearheaded the development of the railways sector.
He established the School of Railways and Infrastructure Development as part of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT).
By Melvin Tarlue