Veep’s Charge to 52 Young Stars at Presidential Awards

By Philip Antoh

It was a day of glittering honours and sobering truths at the Accra International Conference Centre, where Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, the Vice President, decorated 52 exceptional teenagers with the nation’s most prestigious academic prize for basic education.

The 69th Presidential Awards Ceremony, a fixture on Ghana’s calendar since 1993, celebrated the top performers in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) but the Vice President used the occasion to deliver a message that transcended test scores.

“This award scheme shows what we as Ghanaians value in education dedication to learning, respect for excellence, and belief in our children’s potential,” she told the hushed auditorium, where proud parents wiped tears and awardees beamed with the quiet confidence of youth who have conquered the odds.

The 52 winners, drawn from public and private schools across all 16 regions, included students with visual and hearing impairments a deliberate inclusivity that Professor Opoku-Agyemang highlighted as essential to the nation’s character. “As a nation, we must ensure that every child, regardless of their ability or background, has the chance to learn, grow, and succeed,” she stressed.

A Warning Amid the Celebration

Yet the ceremony was not merely a roll-call of honours. With the gentle but firm authority of a former educationist, the Vice President turned to a troubling undercurrent in Ghana’s schools: reports of indiscipline, vandalism, and disrespect for authority.

She acknowledged that such behaviours involve only a minority, but warned that their actions carry national consequences. “The aim is not to punish for the sake of punishment, but to cultivate citizens who recognize both their rights and responsibilities,” she said.

To the 52 awardees, soon to embark on their senior high school journey, she offered counsel as much as congratulations. “Excellence is not just about academic success. It also involves how you act when no one is watching. Choose your friends carefully. Respect authority. Hold fast to your moral values.”

Building Prosperity, Restoring Hope

The Vice President anchored her address in this year’s Independence Day theme: “Building Prosperity, Restoring Hope.” Prosperity, she argued, is not merely the product of infrastructure projects or policy documents. “It is created by citizens who realize that their personal behaviour has national consequences.”

The theme resonated through the speeches that followed. Deputy Minister for Education, Clement Abas Apaak, detailed the rigorous and inclusive process that produced the 52 winners 32 from public schools (one male, one female per region), 16 from private schools, and four from special needs institutions.

“This regional and inclusive framework demonstrates a national commitment,” he said. “Excellence should be recognized everywhere, and opportunities must be accessible to all.”

Both Vice President and Deputy Minister paused to acknowledge Nestlé Ghana Limited, which has stood by the Presidential Awards as lead sponsor for more than three decades. The partnership, they agreed, reflects a corporate belief in Ghanaian children that deserves national gratitude.

Teachers, parents, headteachers, and education directors also received warm tributes the unsung architects of a system that continues to produce excellence despite its challenges.

As the ceremony drew to a close, Professor Opoku-Agyemang offered a final reflection that lingered in the hall long after the last award was presented. “The Ghana we want will not emerge by chance,” she said. “It will be shaped deliberately by citizens who combine brilliance with morals, confidence with humility, and success with a genuine spirit of service.”

For 52 young Ghanaians, the charge is clear. They leave the Conference Centre not merely as awardees, but as torchbearers expected to illuminate the path for those who follow.

The 69th Presidential Awards Ceremony, in the end, was more than a celebration. It was a national call to action, delivered to the generation that must answer it.