Sierra Leone’s top national award has been given to President Akuffo Addo.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has earned Sierra Leone’s highest national honor, the “Grand Commander of the Republic of Sierra Leone,” for his contributions to regional unification, stability, and economic progress.

President Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, who presented President Akufo-Addo with the award at a ceremony in Freetown as part of the country’s 60th Independence Day celebrations, said it was in honor of his selfless commitment to “deepening democracy and the rule of law in Ghana, as well as heightening and providing leadership for regional integration and co-operation in Africa.”

He said the Honour was also to recognize President Akufo-“outstanding Addo’s career in public service,” listing many historic constitutional cases he handled that have safeguarded the judiciary’s independence and secured Ghanaians’ privileges.

“A fearless proponent of multiparty democracy, he stood up against despotism and has subsequently sought to strengthen Ghana’s political ethos and practice. His vision of ‘Ghana Beyond Help’ is based on the idea that “African economies will eventually, yet comfortably, relinquish the age of aid reliance” with a structured market, investments in schooling, and infrastructure, according to a citation accompanying the Honour.

“An outspoken multilateralist, President Akufo-Addo is a true believer in African political and economic unification, as well as socioeconomic growth…

This award also acknowledges the Republic of Ghana’s significant contribution to the restoration of stability and democracy in Sierra Leone,” it said.

In his remarks, President Akufo-Addo congratulated Sierra Leone’s government and citizens on their 60th anniversary celebrations, emphasizing that “if there is any nation in West Africa that has demonstrated resilience and the desire to persevere, there is no better example than Sierra Leone, and this is deserving of commendation.”

He emphasized that the celebration’s theme, “Building a New Sierra Leone Together,” placed a sacred duty on Sierra Leoneans to contribute their fair share to the building of a happy and healthy nation while also deepening their sense of belonging.

“So, if you are a Mende, Temne, Limba, Loko, Fula, Mandingo, Krio, Susu, Kissi, or Kru, I urge you to reach beyond your origins. For the sake of your beloved country’s growth and stability, you must strengthen your bonds and foster a spirit of reconciliation. You are, first and foremost, Sierra Leoneans, and I urge you to take pride in that fact,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo, as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Governments, urged “all of us in the community to strive for the day when all of us will look to doing business, first in West Africa and Africa, before looking to Europe, Asia, or the Americas, because we have the men and women, the materials, the facilities, and the efficiency.”