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President John Evans Atta Mills on Friday conferred national honours and awards on 109 personalities who distinguished themselves in various aspects of national life at the 2011 National Honours and Awards ceremony held at the Accra International Conference Centre. The awardees, which included two foreigners, public servants, statesmen, footballers, religious leaders and the judiciary, among others were decorated by President Mills for their distinguished and meritorious services to Ghana. The category of awards included the Companion of the Order of the Volta, Officer of the Oder of the Volta, Member of the Order of the Volta, Grand Medal and Medal for Gallantry Awards. The National Honours and Awards Ceremony cut across academia, sports, medicine and heroism among others. Among the forty-six distinguished Ghanaian persons decorated on Friday were Elder statesman Harry Sawyerr, Speaker of Parliament Rt.Hon. Joyce Bamford Addo, Professor Nana Agyewodin Adu Gyamfi Ampem and Sergeant Baiden Ebenezer Morgan. Some security personnel who lost their lives in the course of duty were also honoured posthumously. These included Group Officer Hannah Yawson of the Ghana National Fire Service, who fell from the fourth floor of the Cedi House in Accra during a simulation exercise. The Black Stars team that qualified to the quarter final of the World Cup and the Black Satellites team that won the World Under-20 Tournament were also decorated. Throughout the history of Ghana, National Honours have been awarded to citizens of the country and sometimes foreign nationals in recognition of their devoted services to the country. This give true and practical meaning to the adage that a country that does not honour its heroes is not worth dying for. In a brief address at the 2011 Investiture Ceremony, President Mills said this year�s awardees are shining examples for others to follow. According to him, a lot went into the selection of individuals deserving of national awards. �The awardees have contributed in diverse ways to national development and their examples must be emulated by all...A lot of objectivity and transparency have gone into considering them," he said. He, however, added that a lot more people in the country deserved to be awarded, and gave the assurance that �their time will come�.