Day: July 8, 2023

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has advised office holders to always demonstrate transparency and accountability in the discharge of their duties.

This, he noted, was the hallmark of good leadership.

Quality public service that ensured inclusiveness and eschewed discrimination in all forms, was vital to transform the society for the better, the Former President added.

‘Quality public service in a democracy such as ours should acknowledge the individual citizen, from whom all power emanates, as the real sovereign authority of the land.’

Former President Kufuor was speaking on the theme: ‘Maintaining Excellence, Integrity and Service in an Era of Global Instability and Permissiveness’, at a special honorary awards’ ceremony at the Valley View University (VVU), in the Greater Accra Region.

The programme saw the University, Ghana’s first private and chartered university, conferring four honorary doctorate degrees on some distinguished African personalities at the ceremony.

It also presented a citation to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Those who received the honorary doctorate degrees are President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, former President Kufuor, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, former First Lady, and Mrs. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Ghana’s Chief of Staff.

The awardees were recognised for their selfless dedication to the cause of humanity and society, having distinguished themselves in their respective fields of endeavour.

They have also been instrumental in championing the society’s progress, particularly, in the area of education, health, peace-building, youth, women and children’s development, good governance, democracy and mentorship.

‘All the awardees share the distinction of public service with leadership,’.

‘We all also staunchly believe in human dignity,’ former President Kufuor noted, while delivering his speech after he was decorated with an academic robe.

He reminded African leaders that working to address development challenges in the society and aspirations of the people, was invaluable for good governance.

He advised: ‘The theme should guide us to maintain excellence, integrity and service in an era of global instability and permissiveness.

‘The key to ourselves is to begin to act rightly under all circumstances. Firstly, we have to do right by the laws of the land. Then, we must also be guided to being aware of and appreciation of our nations’ position in the global context.

‘And, finally, we must uphold the centrality of humanity in all our worthy endeavours wherever we find ourselves. Living by this tenet would not be a mean task to do, but surely, you will have fulfilled your conscience.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghana and Zambia Friday signed cooperative agreements aimed at bolstering ties and trade development between the two countries.

The agreements were on trade and investment; mining; tourism, arts and culture; skills development; information communication technology; youth and sports; drug trafficking; Science, technology and innovation; and investment promotion.

The agreements were signed when the Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, who is on a three-day visit to Ghana held brief with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House, Accra.

President Hichilema is in Ghana at the invitation of President Akufo-Addo to strengthen the already cordial bilateral relations between the two Anglophone countries and forge new long-lasting partnerships in various sectors of mutual interest.

The visit is a climax to the inaugural session of the Zambia-Ghana Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation held last April 2023 in Accra.

Hichilema was accompanied by his wife, Mutinta, and a high-level delegation.

The Zambian President, who is also a lay leader of the SDA Church, later joined President Akufo-Addo and his wife, Rebecca, to attend the first special congregation of the Valley View University (VVU)at Oyibi, near Accra, where five personalities, including the two leaders, were honoured for their contribution to the development of their societies.

The other personalities were former president John Agyekum Kufuor, former first lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings and Madam Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Chief of Staff at the Presidency.

Hichilema, Kufuor, Mrs Rawlings and Madam Osei-Opare were conferred with honorary doctorate degrees for their exemplary leadership and varied roles in their respective endeavours to enhance the cause of humanity.

The University presented President Akufo-Addo with a Presidential citation in acknowledgement of his resolve to promote democracy and good governance.

Later, Hichilema attended a State banquet at the Presidency.

Whilst in Ghana, the Zambian Head of State will visit the Zoomlion Waste Management Plant, grace the 2023 graduation ceremony of the Valley View University (VVU), slated for July 09, and unveil a commemorative plaque at the frontage of the University.

VVU, the first private university in Ghana granted a Charter, was established in 1979 by the West African Union Mission of Seventh-day Adventists (now Ghana Union Conference).

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Women in Entrepreneurship Awards (WIEA), a nongovernmental organisation, has added a new category to its scheme to identify, empower and celebrate innovative business owners with disabilities making a difference in their communities.

Madam Emma-Marie Deeku, General Manager of WIEA, made the closure at the launch of the 2023 edition of WIEA and Ellevate Summit in Accra.

She said, she was hopeful that the new category dubbed, ‘Persons with Disability (PWD) Entrepreneur of the Year’, would inspire all PWDs to embrace entrepreneurship as WIEA sought to recognise the crucial role they play in driving innovation and economic progress.

Madam Deeku noted that the award scheme did not only award winners but also present recognition certificates to all nominees.

This, she said, would encourage all participants to strive for excellence.

WIEA aims at empowering and recognizing the strong impactful effort by some women in the business industry and contributing to Ghana’s economic growth.

WIEA 2023 registered tough competition in 25 categories, including Woman Entrepreneur of the Year; Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year; Beauty Entrepreneur of the Year; Beverage Brand of the Year; Most Promising Entrepreneur of the Year; Family Business of the Year, Made in Ghana Product of the Year; Social Entrepreneur of the Year, Food Entrepreneur of the Year.

Others are Agri-Woman of the Year; Most Inspiring Woman Entrepreneur of the Year; Health and Well-Being Entrepreneur of the Year; Micro/Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year; Financial Service Provider of the Year; Social Entrepreneur of the Year; and Woman Entrepreneur Under 25 of the Year.

Madam Deeku said this year, aside the PWD category, the Scheme had also introduced the ‘Woman Entrepreneur Under 25 of the Year’ which seeks to identify and empower young women doing exceptionally well with their business.

She reiterated that, in addition, WIEA would also celebrate ‘100 Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs’ in Ghana, encouraged women to persevere and be determined to achieve higher heights in life.

Professor Goski Alabi, Co-Founder and President of Laweh University College, urged women entrepreneurs to be innovative, hence, should be able to identify and grab opportunities within every crisis.

‘When we fail to recognise opportunities that come with crisis, that change will fizzle us out, we must understand the change in trends of customer behavior,’ she said.

Oheneyere Gifty Anti, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GDA Media Limited, who chaired the event on the theme: ‘Digitization: Scaling-up Business in Economic Cri,’s’, encouraged nominees to be goal-oriented.

She said they should deliberately add value to themselves and purposeful in achieving their goals.

Mrs Gwyneth Gyimah Addo, CEO of Hair Senta, also underscored the need for young entrepreneurs to adopt business digitization and use of technology which are appropriate tools to be competitive, innovative, and as well strengthen business integrity.

She touched on the need for entrepreneurs to serve, ‘greatness is the by-product of learning how to serve, so we first have to be servants, if a customer approaches and you don’t have a heart to serve how you will get the time to think of new ideas to solve problems.’

Dr Loretta Sarpong, Head of Women’s Desk at Ecobank Ghana PLC, said the Bank was willing to provide financial and non-financial support to businesses through its ‘Ellevate Programme’, where they could have access to collateral free/interest free loans.

‘Once we open an account for you, we sign you unto the ‘GHQR’ which works just like mobile money; the Bank sees the inflow and outflow of cash from your business, and that guarantees collateral free/interest free loans.’

Women in Entrepreneurship Ghana is a Non-Governmental Organization that seeks to bring all businesswomen on a common platform where they are given assistance and advice on and off the grounds of business.

Source: Ghana News Agency