AFORD celebrates its own for distinguished services

Senior members of the Association of Former Officers of the Research Department (AFORD) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been treated to a luncheon by AFORD to celebrate the distinguished services they rendered to the nation when they were in active service.

The senior citizens, aged 80 years and above, who were recognised at the event in Accra last Thursday included Ambassador Andrews Kow Afful, Ambassador Nana Abankwa Ntim, Ambassador Alhaji Bawa Ayambilla and Mr P.S.K. Sackey.

Others were Mr Bosque Hamilton, Mr Yaw Adu, Mr Addai Mensah, Mr Ate Allotey, Mr Joseph Buah and Mr Yaw Adu.
Also in attendance were Ambassador Peter Nyarko Opata and Ambassador George Blankson.

Citations

A member of the association, Mrs Margaret Amuah Quarshie, read out the citations accompanying the honours.

One after another as the citations were read out, the over 70 members of the association who attended the event responded with applause.

Running through the citations was that the oldies, through their selfless services to Ghana, were a shining example for the current crop of officers in the department and those yet to come to emulate.

The Research Department is an important security outfit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lifestyles

In a speech, the President of AFORD, Ambassador Afful, urged the members to continue to lead healthy lifestyles to enable them to live longer.

He told his colleagues that even in their old age they still had something to offer the nation.

He said the laudable services they rendered to the nation should guide the young ones to be dedicated to their work.

Challenges

In his address, Mr Sackey, who is a former president of the association, urged his colleagues to take the activities of the association seriously and to be one another's keeper.

He prayed for good health and longer lives for the members.

In a brief speech, Mr Adu, a retired Director of Passports, mentioned the challenges the retirees faced and called on the authorities to assist in addressing them.

He said old age came with many problems, including health, psychological and financial, and so it was important that senior citizens who served their nation well were supported to overcome them.

For his part, Ambassador Abankwa traced the history of the association from its inception and said a lot had been achieved over the years.

The Chairman for the occasion, Mr Eric Nortey, also a member of AFORD, said the members should feel proud for serving their nation with distinction.

A cake was cut to celebrate the lives of the senior retirees.