‘I am deeply grateful’ says Britain’s first black Cabinet minister
LORD PAUL Boateng, Britain’s first black Cabinet minister and the first British-Ghanaian to sit in the House of Lords, is to get a Lifetime Achievement award next month.
Holby City star Hugh Quarshie is to present the former British High Commissioner to South Africa with the honour on November 6 at the Ghana UK-Based Achievement Awards (GUBA) for his contribution to Britain’s Ghanaian community.
GUBA, a charity, said Boateng would be the first recipient of its Lifetime Achievement award. The awards recognise the achievements of British-based Ghanaians.
Boateng was born in Hackney, east London, but lived in Accra, Ghana, until the age of 15. In 1966, he was forced to flee with his mother and sister after his father was sent to jail without trial.
“My early years and education in Ghana have been a constant source of strength and inspiration to me. Ghana’s greatest resource lies not in gold, cocoa or oil but in the spirit of its peoples,” Boateng said.
“These Awards are a milestone in recognising that fact. I am deeply grateful for what they represent in our own and the wider community, to which so many people of Ghanaian origin, from all walks of life, make a significant contribution.”
Other nominees for this year’s Ghana UK-Based Achievement Awards include Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, and Arsenal ladies midfielder Rachel Yankey MBE, both nominated for the Best African Sports Personality.
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