The controversy over this year’s national awards is deepening with Minority Leaders Alban Bagbin and Edward Doe Adjaho also declining to accept the awards. The two are the latest to join the list of nominees who have indicated they will not accept the awards. Former president Rawlings and a former national security adviser, Mr. Kojo Tsikata on Monday said they will not accept the awards. The Minority Leader, Mr. Alban Sumani Bagbin told Joy News he had not even been informed of his nomination for the award. He said the names on the list made the award an insult. Mainly Minority Member of Parliament who spoke to Joy News said the profiles of the people nominated for the awards made nonsense of the dignity of the award. A Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Mr. Steven Ahiawador called on president Kufuor to listen to the voices of the masses and prune down the list. He suggested that the president should remove his name from the list. “It is strange for someone to give an award to himself”, he said. Mr. Ahiawador said it would be good for the president to leave office and let someone recognise his good works and award him. Story by Malik Abass Daabu