IPR holds 8th Excellence Awards in Accra

The Institute of Public Relations (IPR) held its eighth National Public Relations and Communications Excellence Awards in Accra on Saturday. 

In all, 17 awardees from the private and public organisations and individuals were honoured under the theme, ‘Ghana beyond the Ordinary; The value in our national discourse.’

Ms Elaine Sam, President of IPR in her welcome address said the theme was borne out of desire to be consistent and also used their privilege positions as public relations practitioners to disseminate the requisite national and professional values in the national discourse. 

“Our values as people are being eroded by selfish desires for enrichment which often leads to cutting corners in our endeavors,” she said. 

She cautioned them to be circumspect in this year’s election  and ensure that as communication professionals national issues were conducted with decency. 

Ms Sam said the true development of human beings involved more than economic growth since at the heart of it must be a sense of empowerment and inner fulfilment. 

“This alone will ensure that human and cultural values remain paramount in a world where political leadership is often synonymous with tyranny and the rule of a narrow elites,” she said. 

She said people’s participation in social transformation was central of current time adding that it could only be achieved through the establishment of societies which place human values above power and liberation above control. 

“You can be assured of the Institute’s resolve to consolidate the esteem and highest standards of professional recognition accorded the awards over the years by industry and corporate Ghana,” she said.

Mrs  Patience Enyonam Akyianu, Group Chief Executive Officer of Hollard Ghana, the  guest speaker said the conversation about the importance of values to Ghana’s  society, should start with the understanding of values since almost any institution worth its salt has a crafted set of values.

She said one of the nation’s value as a hospitable country has contributed to the development in the tourism sector.

Mrs Akyianu said Ghana could truly become a great nation if some of the values which has international appeal was practised as a national norm and practices to bring development.

The Best Public Relations Personality of the Year went to Esi Hammond of the Bank of Ghana.

BY LAWRENCE MARKWEI