Valley View University (VVU) President Seth Abang Laryea recently received one of Ghana’s highest national awards given to private citizens, the Order of Volta, in recognition of his contributions to college-level education. Formally called Adventist Missionary College, VVU was established in 1979 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

President of Ghana, John Agyekum Kuffour, presented Laryea with the award at a ceremony held July 3, 2008 at the Accra International Conference Center.

Laryea and 250 other Ghanaians were awarded for their exceptional contributions toward the development and well-being of the country, said President Kuffour.

“I appreciate the award and what it stands for,” Laryea said. “I believe there are hundreds of people who contributed to the work that merited that award.”

The government granted VVU a presidential charter in May 2006, making it the first chartered private university in Ghana.

Laryea is the second Seventh-day Adventist to receive the Order of the Volta Award from Ghana. Matthew Bediako, executive secretary of the Seventh-day Adventist world church, was awarded the Order for religious contributions in 2006.