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Real Measure of Success is What Customers Experience –Stanbic CE

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Kwamina Asomaning, Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Ghana, has highlighted the primacy of excellence in customer experience as a true measure of an organization’s long-term success or potential.

Mr. Asomaning said this in an interview about recent accolades from the EMEA Magazine that recognize the bank as Best Investment Bank and Overall Best Bank.

“While these awards are welcome, the ultimate award comes from our customers because the real measure of success lies not in trophies but in the satisfaction and loyalty of our customers. We don’t set out purposely to win awards. Rather, we set out to address the needs of our clients exceptionally well which naturally drives sustainable growth and profitability. The ultimate award is the award you get from your customers because they are the ones who pay the bills,” he stated.  

This philosophy reflects the bank’s core mission: prioritizing exceptional customer service over external recognition. According to Mr. Asomaning, the awards are the result of a well-executed customer-centric strategy rather than a deliberate pursuit of accolades

“We set for ourselves some very clear strategic choices around the types of customers we wanted to bank, the types of solutions we wanted to develop and the type of experience we wanted to create for our customers. And that is important because being clear about these choices is what will produce the levels of customer satisfaction and this satisfaction leads to loyalty,” the Stanbic Bank Chief Executive emphasised.

The bank’s focus on delivering exceptional customer experience received further validation from KPMG, which ranked Stanbic Bank as number one in customer experience excellence in corporate banking and number two in Ghana’s retail banking sector in 2024.

This achievement, which was highlighted in the “2024 West Africa Banking Industry Customer Experience Survey,” bolsters Stanbic’s commitment to being a true universal bank, balancing its strength in corporate and investment banking with its growing retail banking capabilities.

Stanbic Bank Ghana was named the Overall Best Bank in Ghana at the 17th edition of the prestigious EMEA Finance African Banking Awards 2024. The bank was also adjudged the Best Investment Bank for the fourth year in a row and the Best Debt House for the fifth time, reaffirming the bank’s leadership in Ghana’s financial sector.   

The awards, now in their 17th year, celebrate excellence, innovation, and leadership in banking across Africa. Organized by EMEA Finance, a leading financial publication covering Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, the African Banking Awards highlight institutions that demonstrate outstanding performance, robust financial growth, and commitment to their customers.

Manager of roofing company arraigned over alleged fraud

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Accra, Feb.25, GNA-The Manager of Joonak Roofing is before the Amasaman Circuit Court over alleged GHC14,000.00 fraud.

Clement Acquah Jonah is said to have taken the money from Nana Offei under the pretext of supplying him with a quantity of roofing sheets which he has denied, according to prosecutors.

He was granted a GHC50,000.00 bail with two sureties.

The Court ordered the sureties to produce their valid national identity cards to the Court’s Registry.

Acquah would make his next appearance on April 6, 2025 and the Court has ordered Prosecution to serve him with the necessary materials for Case Management Conference.

Police Chief Inspector Frederick Ansah-Awuah told the Court presided over by Ms Enid Marful-Sau that Nana Offei, the Complainant was an Accountant and resident of Sarpeiman whilst Acquah, the accused person, was a resident of Kasoa.

He said on October 16, 2024, the Complainant contracted accused person who claimed to be a manager of Joonak Roofing to roof his three buildings at Adjen Kotoku for him.

Prosecution said after negotiation, the accused person charged the complainant Gh¢14,000.00 which was paid in full to the accused person.

Chief Inspector Awuah-Ansah said the accused person went to a sister Company to buy the roofing sheet with the quality of 3.0 instead of the 4.5 agreed on to roof two buildings, leaving one building with an excuse that his company had a problem.

The Court heard that all efforts made to get accused person to roof the remaining proved futile.

Since he failed to pick Complainant’s calls, the Complainant used a different phone line to contact him, tricking him to believe he was giving him another contract which he responded, leading to his arrest.

After necessary investigation, the accused person was charged with the offence.

His counsel, in praying for bail, said it was a contractual agreement, and his client was prepared to attend Court to prove his innocence.

His said the client was not known (first time offender), gainfully employed, adding that he had men and women of substantial means to stand as sureties.

Over thousand children in Funsi receive free eye screening

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Funsi, (UW/R), Feb. 25, GNA – A total of 1,087 school children in Funsi in the Wa East District have received free eye screening under the Blissful Sight for Kids project as part of efforts to enhance their education through good eyesight. 

The initiative by Bliss Eye Care, a private eye clinic in Wa, in partnership with Ghana Vision, a Swizz-based charity organisation, was aimed to “prevent preventable and avoidable eye condition of children which could deprive them of their right to education.”

In all, 184 of the 1,087 children who went through the screening had normal eyes, 878 had pathological issues relating to medication, 15 had refractive error and required eyeglasses and ten had cataracts.

All the children who required medication or eyeglasses were given while those who needed further attention were referred to the clinic in Wa for further assessment and treatment.

Speaking at the screening at Funsi, Dr. Zakarea Al-Hassan Balure, the Manager of Bliss Eye Care, said the project was birthed out of his desire to impact the lives of vulnerable people, especially children in rural and deprived communities through the provision of free eye screening and care services.

He indicated that children in deprived areas were disadvantaged in accessing specialised services, including eye care due to their inability to access health facilities in urban centres for those services coupled with financial constraints.

Since its inception in 2016, the BS4Ks project has saved thousands of children from eye conditions that could adversely affect their development and future lives.

“The biggest problem of the deprived areas is that they don’t have access to most of the specialists’ services, so you find most of them running to do the traditional healers and most times this ends up worsening their plight”, Dr. Balure explained.

He advised the people to make the health facilities their first point of call when they had eye problems rather than resorting to herbal medicines.

Dr. Martin Roost, the President of Ghana Vision, said his organisation was mobilising resources to support the BS4Ks project due to the importance of good eyesight for children’s education.

“Education is just the key to everything, and our motivation is first to provide the sight to enhance the education of deprived children in Ghana”, he explained.

He expressed gratitude to Lawrence Ati-Zigi, a Ghanaian professional footballer, for his continuous support to Ghana Vision to also support disadvantaged children in Ghana through the BS4Ks project.

Dr. Roost said they hoped to expand their support to other parts of the country if they have support from other kind-hearted people and organisations.

Mr Samuel Dassah, the School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Coordinator at the Wa East District Education Directorate, thanked Bliss Eye Care and Ghana Vision for the intervention as that would help enhance the children’s education.

KetaBusco commences inter-houses games competition

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Keta (VR), Feb 25, GNA-The inter-houses athletic games, of the Keta Business College (KetaBusco) in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region has kicked off.

It is a precursor to the main inter-schools’ competition aimed at selecting and training top athletes to represent the school.

The other primary objective of the inter-house’s game is to identify and nurture talents, who could represent the school in the upcoming inter Senior High Schools games and festivals slated for March this year.

Mr. Daniel Kovor, Head of Physical Education at KetaBusco, shared his insights with the Ghana News Agency Sports, and explained that the inter-houses competition provided a platform for students to showcase their skills and talents in various sporting activities.

“The inter-houses competition will allow the school to select the best athletes for the upcoming inter-school games and it is importance because this event help us to identify and develop the college’s athletic talents, nurture and reshape them for future as well,” he said.

He said inter-houses games, which commenced with cross-country race on Friday, February 21 was expected to be highly competitive, with students vying for spots on the school team while various events promised to be an exciting display of athletic prowess and school spirit.

Mr Kovor said that KetaBusco was known for its strong athletic programmes and the inter-houses games, an essential part of the college’s sporting calendar, would help foster a sense of healthy competition among students.

“This is 84th edition of inter-houses sports festival competition and we are optimistic that the event will help us identify talented athletes who can make a meaningful contribution to the school’s success in the upcoming inter-school competitions and beyond,”

As the games progressed, students, teachers, parents and other sports enthusiasts were closely monitoring athletes who would emerge as top performers whilst the event promised to be an exciting and memorable experience for participants.

The inter-houses games for KetaBusco were vital for the athletic development programme and the College was committed to providing its students with opportunities to excel in sports.

Some participating students GNA Sports engaged expressed hope that their various houses would emerge overall winners in the competition with much more courage of getting the opportunity and selection to join the main school team and represent the college in the upcoming inter-school games.

They said the hosting of the inter-houses demonstrated that the school was dedicated to fostering a culture of excellence and sportsmanship among the athletes’ students and prepare them beyond inter school’s competition.

Veep urges Council of State to play constructive role in constitutional reform

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Peduase (E/R), Feb 25, GNA – Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called on the Council of State to play a constructive role in the ongoing constitutional reform, thereby contributing to the development of a national blueprint for sustainable progress.

“We must move beyond the idea of a constitution as merely a blueprint for power sharing. It must instead become a framework for development, one that prioritizes economic transformation, institutional efficiency, and the collective aspirations of all Ghanaians.”

She urged the Council of State to transition from being perceived as a passive advisory body to an active institution that influences policy formulation. 

Prof Opoku-Agyemang made the call on Monday in her remarks at the opening of an orientation workshop of the Council of State at Peduase in the Eastern Region.

She reiterated the importance of initiating essential dialogues to address the country’s challenges, reinforcing the Council’s relevance in governance. 

The Veep highlighted the expectations of the Ghanaian people and the need for a collective effort in meeting those demands.

She underscored the Council’s role in researching and addressing policy gaps to align with President John Dramani Mahama’s vision of resetting Ghana. 

Mr Edward Korbly Doe Adjaho, the Chair of the Council of State, called on Council Members to put aside personal inclinations and focus on the collective interests of the nation.

Asante-Akim Central records no maternal death in 2024

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     Konongo (Ash), Feb. 25, GNA – No maternal death was recorded in Asante-Akim Central Municipality in 2024, health authorities in the municipality have reported.

Madam Delphine Gboglovor, the Municipal Health Director, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of an annual performance review meeting at Konongo.

She attributed the success story to implementation of pragmatic measures aimed at curbing the needless loss of lives through childbirth.

This followed research into the causes of maternal deaths in the municipality over the years.

“We are happy to report that those measures we put in place are bearing fruit now. It is refreshing to note that our Municipality did not record any issues of maternal mortality, and we are all proud of that,” she stated.

She pointed out that, the Directorate identified that most pregnant women had adopted the habit of not seeking antenatal care at the early stages of pregnancy but waited till their last trimester before showing up for antenatal care.

This, according to her, contributed to the unfortunate loss of either the mother or baby during delivery, adding that, the Directorate intensified education on the importance of attending antenatal clinic as early as possible.

The Municipal Director said her outfit would sustain the sensitisation drive and work closely with relevant stakeholders to maintain the zero maternal death achievement.

Dr. Lord Loglo, the Medical Superintendent of the Asante-Akim Central Municipal Hospital, bemoaned the poor state of access road to the hospital, saying that it was affecting health delivery, especially in emergency situations.

He also expressed concern about sporadic power supply to the facility couple with the fact that the standby generator was also faulty and called for urgent steps to rectify the problem.

GEA well positioned for 24-hour economy implementation-CEO

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Dumasua,(Bono), Feb.25, GNA- Miss Margaret Ansei, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprise Agency(GEA), says the agency has positioned itself well, ready for the implementation of the 24-hour economy policy.

She highlighted the potential of the 24-hour economy, saying the agency through its Business Advocacy centers (BACs) was supporting and empowering, and providing standardized business and packaging to meet international standards for export.

” So the 24-hour economy comes because if you are doing, you will fill your capacity and you will need more numbers.

So one job,three people,three shifts and it helps export, promotion, create employment, help the economy to grow and stabilize our currency,” Ms Ansei stated.

She was speaking in an interview with the media on the sidelines of the opening session of a-10”Kaizen On-the-Job-Training”workshop underway at Dumasua in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono Region.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation(UNIDO) is organizing the training being attended by managers of the BACs and some MSMEs in the line with the GEA partnerships project titled” Project for expanding the Kaizen initiative by Enhancing Sustainable Agribusiness.

It is being implemented by UNIDO with funding from the Japanese government with the focus of Kaizen in Sustainable productivity and quality improvements through elimination of waste and efficient cost management.

Ms Ansei said the project implementation fitted the government’s efforts in boosting production through the 24-hour economy and accelerated export development initiatives, saying MSMEs development formed a key part in the ‘reset agenda’ of President John Dramani Mahama.

”As we seek to promote, modernize and accelerate MSMEs development, the strategy with anchor on leveraging on technology and digitalization as a catalyst in the promotion and development of the MSMES.

”We further seek to provide standardized business development services through a service providers’ certification regime where quality can be guaranteed which is currently lacking in Ghana’s business ecosystem.

Mediocrity in service delivery cannot lead us to achieve the vision of the 24- hour economy and we are aligning with development partners and private sector on key MSMEs development priorities through effective engagement and mutual adherence to corporate values”

The concept of the Kaizen project, Mr Kipo Dari, the National Project Coordinator, UNIDO, explained focused on sustainable operational efficiency with emphasis on productivity and quality enhancement whiles” promoting workers welfare is a perfect fit for any policy prescriptions aim at boosting production capacity”

UNIDO Kaizen Expansion Project has incorporated a digital solution known as UNIDO Smart performance Analytics with Real Time Kaizen(U-Spark) as a tool for sustainable enterprise performance management, he explained.

Mr Dari said he was optimistic that with effective collaboration”We can little by little make significant contributions to the 24-hour policy of President Mahama’s government, your government, our government by leveraging first on the strengths before looking at the opportunities out there”.

Ghana will collaborate with security agencies of her neighbours to protect our borders-Okletey Terlabi  

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Accra, Feb.25, GNA–Mr Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, Deputy Minister-designate for the Interior, says Ghana will continue to share security intelligence with her neighbouring countries’ security agencies to deal with any threats posed to the nation by terrorists and other extremist groups.  

Answering questions when he appeared before the Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, Mr Okletey Terlabi acknowledged the porous nature of the country’s borders, hence the need to collaborate with other security agencies within the sub-region to safeguarding her borders.  

On accommodation for security agencies, Mr Okletey Terlabi believed that efforts must be made to provide decent accommodation for personnel of the security services.  

The nominee also acknowledged the need to allow prison inmates to engage in commercial farming to produce sufficient food to feed themselves and support second cycle educational institutions.  

The nominee also believed that there must be public-private partnership towards building prison facilities to ease congestion in the country’s prisons.  

Answering questions about occasional clashes between the Police and the Military, Mr Okletey Terlabi believed that there must be mutual respect between the two agencies and collaborate harmoniously to ensure peace and order in the country.  

The nominee clarified that when it came to internal security of the nation, the Police were in charge and that the Military played a complementary role whenever the need arose.  

Stakeholders must embrace effective collaboration to unlock full potential of Blue Economy

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The second Blue Economy Conference (IBEC-2025) has ended in The Gambia with a call on various stakeholders to embrace effective collaboration to unlock the full potential of the Blue Economy.

The Conference organised by the Regional Maritime University (RMU) in Accra in collaboration with the Dar es Salaam Maritime Institute (DMI), Tanzania was on the theme: “Harnessing the Blue Economy: Leveraging for Innovative and Sustainable Development.”

The event was under the auspices of The Gambian Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure.

The three-day Conference brought together over 200 international stakeholders to share ideas on promoting the blue economy to subsequently lead development across the continent, by tapping into prospects within the maritime industry.

Dr Jethro W. Brooks Jr., the Acting Vice Chancellor of the RMU called on various stakeholders to foster collaborations within the sub-region to harness the full potential of the blue economy.

He emphasised the need for industry players to be innovative and collaborate effectively to tap into the prospects within the ocean.

Dr Brooks Jr said the blue economy focuses on leveraging oceanic resources to drive economic development while sustaining the environment.

“Our vision to utilise the resources within the ocean to foster economic development within the sub-region could only be realised through innovation, collaboration and commitment to sustainability,” he said.

He said they need to ensure that our development does not come at the expense of the environment. Hence, we need to engage in practices that would protect our water bodies, climate and the entire environment for future generations. 

“A good blue economy must ensure conservation, equity as well as exclusivity. It is important to focus on a long-term approach which would ensure that today’s blue economy would build a legacy for tomorrow,” he added.

Dr Brooks Jr., said “Let us come together to harness the potential of the blue economy for the benefit of the ocean, the people and climate.”

He commended organisers and sponsors for their efforts while expressing optimism towards a greater future with a focus on the blue economy.

Muhammed B.S Jallow, The Gambian Vice President reiterated that “we are at a decisive moment that demands we fully leverage the economic potential the marine and Blue Economy provides.”

He emphasised the sustainable use of ocean resources to drive economic growth, enhance livelihoods, and create jobs while ensuring the health of marine ecosystems.

“We must adopt approaches that harness the ocean’s ability to generate prosperity while maintaining the vitality and robustness of our marine environments for generations to come,” he said.

Mr Ebrima Sillah, the Gambian Minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure said, “the Blue Economy is not just vital for our economies but essential for the livelihoods on this planet.”

He, therefore, called on all stakeholders to unite in this crucial effort, stressing that protecting marine life is a collective responsibility that we must all embrace.

There were presentations on key subject areas including Blue Justice Approach to Blue Economy Policy Development and Implementation to Social Safeguard Small-scale Fishers in Africa and Digital Transformation of the Blue Economy.

The rest are Food Safety Concern: A Priority in the Blue Economy, Aquaculture Innovation: Sustainable Practices for the Future of Seafood and Livelihood and Ocean Governance: Policy for Sustainable Blue Economy Development.

Others are, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: Legal Instruments of Climate Change on Marine Environments and Coastal Communities, Ensuring Marine Safety and Security as well as Sustainable Fisheries Management.

A new German government will continue to support Ghana’s economic recovery – Ambassador  Patrick Ofoe Nudzi

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Germany applauds Ghana’s democratic credentials and will continue to support her economic recovery regardless of whichever coalition government is formed, Mr Daniel Krull, the German Ambassador to Ghana, said on Sunday.

“Whatever government that comes around the corner, they will focus on Ghana as a beacon of democracy in West Africa and we will continue to assist Ghana in its strife to economic recovery,” he said.

Mr Krull said this on the backdrop of the just ended German Federal election where the Embassy, in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut, held a German Federal election party watch at the institute. 

The Conservative Party, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU), led by Mr Friedrich Merz, has won Germany’s election well ahead of rival parties but short of the 30 per cent vote-share they had expected.

With a preliminary 28.6 per cent, it had been reported that Mr Merz’s first priority would be to try to form a coalition made up of his Christian Democrats (and their Bavarian sister party, the CSU) and Scholz’s centre left, despite the Social Democrats worst-ever showing of 16.4 per cent. 

The Ambassador, however, said any coalition government formed would not be “disruptive’’ in any way towards Germany’s bilateral cooperation with Ghana. 

“All parties who are willing to negotiate a future coalition government are in the centre of democratic spectrum and will follow the mainstream of our bilateral cooperation,” he said.

“I am pretty sure that whatever government that comes to the corner, they will focus on Ghana as the beacon of democracy in West Africa,” he said.

There might be nuances here and there, Mr Krull noted, but they had parliamentarians from the Conservative Party and Social Democratic Party who visited Ghana and shared in the excitement of the amazing relations and bilateral ties. 

Madam Anna Wassesfall, Resident Representative, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said the results were quite satisfactory per the will and sovereignty of the German people, adding that key issues that played out were on illegal migration, economic advancement and security in relation to the war in Ukraine. 

She said the CDU and SPD were proponents of collaborations with African countries and with the CDU intending to form a coalition government with the SPD (outgoing government), there would an opportunity for closer relationships between Germany, Europe and Africa in terms of trade and investments. 

The election party was marked by a colourful fusion of culture, food and politics.

Long tables were laden with traditional German foods, from bratwurst sausages and pretzels, sauerkraut and traditional German beer, offering a taste of home to the attendees. 

 “It’s always exciting to see how democracy unfolds, no matter where you are. It feels special to be with my fellow Germans here in Ghana, sharing this experience, and it’s nice to know people are interested in the outcome, even from afar,” said Michael Schneider, a German expat living in Accra.

There was a symbolic ceremonial voting exercise at the occasion where Germans and Ghanaians present voted to elect their MPs and party. The results went in favour of the Green Party with 32.7 per cent. 

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