The former president, John Agyekum Kuffour, has stated that it is time society took a crucial look at the moral upbringing of children. President Kuffour said it was unfortunate that the current generation is living in an era where only academic awards or qualifications count with little or no regard for morality.
He bemoaned the situation where economic conditions do not allow the average Ghanaian parent to exercise effective parenting of their wards.
The former President noted that it was sad that most mothers have no choice but to leave their wards in kindergartens and early childhood centres with people who have nothing to impart on children to help their moral upbringing. He continued that academic achievements without good moral upbringing is not enough and for that matter society should ensure that humanity is well groomed.
Former President Kuffour, praised the Late Peggy Enid Appiah for bringing her children up properly to understand that without moral upbringing, a human being is not a full human being, and that it is morality that makes a human being. He praised the late Peggy Appiah for her selfless contributions to the development of Arts and Education in Ghana.
President John Agyekum Kuffour advised the recipients of the award to make meaningful impact in their societies by offering help and support to humanity. This was because the late Peggy Enid Appiah had everything to live for but gave all up to help Ghana.
Speaking on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor R. C. Abaidoo stated that KNUST is committed to providing world class education to both local and international students. He further stated that KNUST offers holistic training to produce high calibre science and technology graduates who play important roles in national and international development which cannot be implemented without the input of social scientists.
He therefore praised the family of the late Peggy Enid Appiah for instituting the award to encourage learning and research in History. He hoped that the cordial relationship between the Centre for Intellectual Renewal and KNUST would help bring mutual benefits.
The Director of the Centre for Intellectual Renewal, Ivor Agyemang Duah, said the Centre for Intellectual Renewal was set up in 2006 after the death of Peggy Enid Appiah to stimulate learning in the arts and literature. It also aims at promoting rural development and addressing cultural issues for national development.
Miss Amissah Zenabu Bakuri and Theresa Akua Hutcison , who graduated with First Class Honours were presented with five hundred Ghana Cedis and certificates each by the former President John Agyekum kuffour as the award package.
For their part, they pledged to give back what they had acquired to society.
The Peggy Appiah Prize of Excellence in History was set up by the Centre for Intellectual Renewal in 2009/2010 academic year to award deserving students who excel in historical research on either women or children. Its objective is to honour the memory of Peggy Enid Appiah, the inspiration behind the centre, while recognising the hard work and excellence of students in the study of history as a vital repository of culture.
The late Peggy Enid Appiah, was born Peggy Enid Cripps to the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Stafford Cripps and Isobel Swithenbank. . Her father, Cripps, who was Chancellor from 1947-50 was credited with the British economic reforms after World War II.
Peggy Enid Cripps, (Mrs. Peggy Enid Appiah) was a well-known British writer on books for children. She passed away in Kumasi on Saturday February 11 2006 at the age of eighty four (84). She had spent over 50 years in Ghana since she left England after her marriage to the Ghanaian lawyer, statesman and presidential advisor, the late Joe Appiah.
To an earlier Anglo-Ghanaian generation however, Peggy Enid Appiah was highly respected in the traditional and national ruling classes. Some of the books were reflected as text in the prescribed reading of primary and secondary schools in Ghana and of the West Africa Examination Council.
She had the best collection of Asante gold-weights in the world with featured exhibitions from Australia to the United States.The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, awarded her an honorary degree. Few years before, Queen Elizabeth awarded her the MBE for her contribution to Anglo-Ghanaian relationships. The Ashanti Region branch of the Ghana Journalists' Association also gave her their best prize.
Her works, apart from paintings of scenes of Kumasi included best sellers in the 1970s such as, A Smell of Onions, Tales of an Asante Father, The Ring and Gold, The Pineapple Child and other Tales from Ashanti.
Her last major work was an epic dictionary of over seven thousand (7,000) Asante(Akan) proverbs titled “BU MEBE: AKAN PROVERBS” which she edited with Kwame Anthony Appiah, her son and a leading world philosopher currently at Princeton University and Ivor Agyeman-Duah, a Ghanaian author and presidential biographer.
