What did Akufo-Addo do for the French, Oliver Barker-Vormawor criticizes
The defence team of #FixTheCountry Convener, and Ghanaian activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor have criticised the French for giving their highest national award to former president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
In a social media post on Wednesday, January 15, Oliver Barker said: ” What did Akufo-Addo do for the French to be given their highest national award? I keep getting sleepless nights over this! And just look at the look on his face. So boyishly happy”.
https://x.com/barkervogues/status/1879451213881901159
Background
This comes after France bestowed its highest national merit honor on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur) was conferred on the President at a ceremony at the French Presidency, Elysee, in Paris, France, yesterday.
The award was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 and has been preserved by all French governments since the 19th century.
The Order is divided into five categories, namely the Grand Cross (Grand-Croix), the Grand Officer (Grand Officier), the Commander (Commandeur), the Officer (Officier), and the Knight (Chevalier), with the Grand Cross being the highest category and the Knight being the lowest.
The French President is the Grand Master of the Order and confers the orders on deserving dignitaries.
Previous awardees of the honour include the former German Chancellor, Angela Merkel; former President of the Swiss Confederation, Pascal Couchepin; Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Italian Prime Minister, Massimo d’Alema, and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
Conferring the award to President Akufo-Addo, President Macron lauded the Ghanaian leader’s commitment to democracy and human rights and his role in strengthening the diplomatic ties between Ghana and France.
President Akufo-Addo was on a day’s State visit to France and held bilateral talks with Mr Macron.
He also spoke at an event organized by France Volontaires, the French platform for international volunteering, and a high-level event organized by UNESCO in honour of the first African Director-General of UNESCO, Amadou Mahtar-M’Bow.
