A former chief of staff under the NDC regime Nana Ato Dadzie has questioned the legality of President Kufuor’s creation of a new awards category that ensures that the President also qualifies for an award. Mr Dadzie said the national honours were created by law and that any new additions must have legislative backing. The President will on July 3 honour some 244 nominees. A new category called the Grand Order of the Star and Eagles of Ghana created by President Kufuor will ensure that he also leaves the ceremony with an award. But according the former chief of staff, the creation must be questioned. “If this President believes a new category must be created he must go through the right processes and have the new category legislated,” he stated. Mr Dadzie also described President Kufuors self nomination as redundant and unnecessary. He said a head of state already ascended to that honour on the day he is sworn in and that he would not need any other ceremony to confer that on him. Since the release of the list a couple of weeks ago, the President has come under a barrage of criticism spurting from both within and outside the NPP. Some key personalities in the opposition NDC including former President Rawlings and Captain (Rtd) Kojo Tsiakata, a former security advisor under the NDC have already rejected the award. Mr. Tsikata in an interview with Joy News said he did not deserve that “honour” adding “I do not know the thinking process that went into my selection.” For some political analysts the “mass awards” has been the worst move ever embarked on by the President in his eight-year rule. A snapshot of views gathered by our research indicated that the mass nature of awards would rather reduce its value as high national honour.