The Labadi Beach Hotel at the heart of Accra was a beehive of activities. It was a Saturday afternoon which rolled gallantly into a splendid evening. August guests indeed in the month of August. The stage was set and beckoning. The awardees had arrived from far and near, a gathering of the honourables in honour of a chosen few – ‘The Icons of Africa’, as the organisers preferred to call them. One of the notable recipients was Mr. Joshua Okpo, the Rector of the renowned Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Oron.
The International Centre for Charity and Peace (ICPC), an NGO which has been on the forefront of propagation of the ideals of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the great Pan-Africanist, was on the driving seat again, pushing the conferment of the Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s distinguished African Meritorious Service Order of Merit Award for 2013.
In the main paper presented at the occasion, and titled “Adoption of Nkrumahism as a Template for Good Governance in Africa’’, Dr. Asare Boateng of the Kofi Anan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), an NGO supported by the UN, dwelt extensively on the legacies of late Dr Nkrumah’s ideology. The paper refreshed the minds of all Africans present on the vision, mission and thrust of the late Dr Nkrumah, and reeled out his government’s achievements both in Ghana and other parts of the African continent in the short time he ruled. It stressed the need for African leaders of the 21st century to relive the Nkrumah mind and vision.
Responding on behalf of all the awardees, Mr. Joshua Okpo who bagged the Distinguished African Meritorious Service Order of Merit Award for Good Governance thanked the ICPC for all the efforts aimed at revamping the Dr. Nkrumah legacy which he noted was vital for the growth and development of the continent in all sectors.
Mr. Okpo stressed that the future of the Continent belonged to the youths and the children and reasoned that everything must be done by the leaders of the Continent to ensure the development of the Africa Child, and give hope to its teeming youth Population. He dedicated his award to the Children of Africa and to the Cadets, Management and Staff of the maritime Academy of Nigeria, anchored on good vision and drive.
He called on well-meaning and good-spirited Africans to assist organisations like ICPC to redirect the young people of Africa on the part of Unity and Progress.
Earlier on, a second paper on “Global Warming: Climate Change and its consequences to Africa’s Economy’’ was also presented by Dr. Chima Chibuike, Africans were called upon to take proactive measures to check the menace of global warming to its environment.
It was an award ceremony of immense benefits.
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