Afari-Gyan and 42 health volunteers honoured
A retired Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan has been conferred the highest state award - Companion of the Order of Star (Ordinary Division ) - for the exemplary leadership he demonstrated during his tenure that helped to catapult Ghana's democracy to greater heights.
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With his face lit up with glee, the septuagenarian academic and political scientist, was decorated by President John Dramani Mahama at a ceremony at the Flagstaff House on Wednesday July 1, 2015.
The ceremony also saw 42 volunteer health workers made up of 41 Ghanaians and one Cuban receiving national awards.
For leaving Ghana for the three hardest-hit Ebola countries to help fight the disease, the volunteers received the state award , Grand Order (Ordinary Division).
The health workers who had since returned to Ghana were declared Ebola free after a period of quarantine.
Vice President, Mr Kwesi Bekoe Ammisah Arthur, the Chairperson of the Council of State, Mrs Cecilia Johnson, the Chief of Staff, Mr Julius Debrah and the secretary to the President, Ambassador Kwesi Quartey decorated the health workers.
It was not an event for speeches but in unison, as typified by the presence of leaders of the political parties, the nation showed how grateful it was for the dedicated services rendered by the awardees.
Afari Gyan
It was a moving spectacle when Dr Afari Gyan stood up to listen to the citation accompanying the state award, read by Commodore Steve Obimpeh ( Retd).
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His trademark smile showed as he moved forward to be decorated by the President.
Born at Anyimon in the Brong-Ahafo Region on June 18, 1945, Dr. Afari Gyan was in 1992 appointed Deputy Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the PNDC military government.
He became the first chairman of the Electoral Commission on the birth of the 4th Republic.
He retired in June, this year on attaining the age of 70.
The well-crafted citation said Dr Afari Gyan guided the country's electoral process through trying times and succeeded in crafting an electoral system that stood the test of time.
"Under your able leadership, Ghana has recorded significant and progressive reforms in our electoral process.”
"We have moved from the era of opaque ballot boxes to transparent ballot boxes, from thumb-printed voter identification cards to photo identification cards, from black and white voter ID cards to coloured ones, and from manual registration to biometric registration.”
"You have blazed a trail that others who come after you must follow diligently to ensure further gains to our electoral system," the citation said.
It recognised Dr Afari Gyan's transformational leadership which it said had not only earned him national acclaim but also worldwide recognition.
Health workers
The citation read for all the health workers recognised the show of love they put up for the suffering people of the Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea at the peril of their lives.
