ICF to honour Frema Opare, Mensah-Bonsu, Chinnery-Hesse, K.K. Sarpong others

Some distinguished past and present Ghanaian public office holders are set to be awarded by the Initiators of Change Foundation through its annual ‘Lifetime in a Portraits’ Award.

The “Lifetime in a Portrait Award” aims at discovering and celebrating distinguished individuals from various backgrounds with the prime goal of engendering social cohesion, unity, patriotism, role modelling, and national development. This year’s edition coincides with the foundations tenth anniversary hence Lifetime In a Portrait Award Of the Decade. Public Servants and those who through their outstanding service to humanity, have made Ghana proud in the international community, would be awarded in this special edition.

This year’s event, which is set to come off in April is set to award distinguished public office holders like H.E. Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur(Late Former Vice President Of The Republic Of Ghana), Hon. Akosua Fremaa Osei-Opare (Chief Of Staff), Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse(Former Chief Advisor To President Kufuor), Ambassador James Victor Gbeho (Former President Of The Ecowas Commission), Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu(Majority Leader of Parliament), Hon. E.T. Mensah(Member Of The Council Of State), Rev. Father Andrew Campbell(Parish Priest, Christ The King), Nana Dr Dankawoso Appiagyei I(Former Chairman, Pan-African Chamber Of Commerce), Sheikh Dr Nuhu Osman Sharubutu(Chief Imam), and others.

Mr Kofi Gyan, the Executive Director of the foundation in a statement, indicated that, ICF is in full agreement with the saying that “a nation which does not celebrate her heroes is not worth dying for”. He added “In 2015, the foundation organized the maiden edition of Lifetime in a Portrait Award for all the elected Presidents and Heads of State of Ghana, two International Statesmen, and three distinguished Ghanaian women achievers. The 2016 and 2017 editions, focused on some distinguished captains of industries who have very humble beginnings yet have made it against all odds and have made tremendous contributions towards job creation and national development.

Previous recipients include H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan ( Former UN Secretary General), Her Ladyship Justice Mrs. Georgina Theodora Wood (First Female Chief Justice of Ghana), H.E. Nelson Mandela (Former President of the Republic of South Africa), RT. Hon. Justice Joyce Bamford Addo ( First Female Speaker of Parliament, Her Ladyship Justice Akua Kuenyehia (First Vice President of the International Criminal Court), Nick Danso Adjei (Chairman, Ghana Link Network Services), Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo (Founder, Kantanka Group of Companies), Dr. Osei Kwame Despite (Chairman, Despite Goup of Companies), Hon. Alhaji Asoma Banda (CEO, Antrak Group of Companies)(give 10)

Initiators of Change Foundation (ICF) is an NGO with a focus on Good Governance, Poverty Reduction, Empowerment and Human Resource Development. H.E. John Agyekum Kufuor the former president of the Republic of Ghana is the life patron of the foundation, he is supported by a board of trustees who are eminent Ghanaians with dignified records of accomplishment in their chosen fields of endeavours.

The board of trustees include; Most Rev Dr Aboagye-Mensah (Former Presiding Bishop of Methodist Church of Ghana and Former General Secretary, Christian Council of Ghana), Prof. Miranda Greenstreet (Co-Chairperson of CODEO, Chairperson of the popular Greenstreet Report), Hon. Kwame Amporfo Twumasi ( Former Deputy Minister of Education, Former Deputy Minister of Energy and Former M.P, Nkoranza South), Ambassador Ntim Abankwah (Former Member of ECOWAS Council of Elders and Former Director of State Protocol), the Late Prof. S.K.B. Asante ( International Consultant to the UN, ECOWAS, IMF and the World Bank), Dr Joyce Aryee ( Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministries and Former C.E.O, Ghana Chambers of Mines), Dr Isaac Owusu Mensah ( Director of Research at the Presidency and Political Science lecturer, University of Ghana), Rev. Dr Nanayaa Owusu-Prempeh (Executive Director of Spirit, Soul and Body Workshop).