News
Miss Ghana Foundation pays cost of surgery for 9-Year-old with spinal cord defect
The Miss Ghana Foundation (MGF) on Monday, February 14, 2022, extended a helping hand by donating to cater for the cost of surgery to correct a spinal cord defect of a class one pupil, Linda Ocloo.
The Foundation with the kind support of a philanthropist, Mrs. Oghogho Omame Dixon, donated GH₵40,000.00 to Foundation of Orthopaedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS) Hospital to cater for the cost of surgery for the nine-year-old Linda Ocloo, a scoliosis patient.
The donation was the first instalment to commence surgical procedure which would cost GH₵78,400.00 in total.
Linda’s father disclosed that her deformity was noticed in February 2020 and they had been to the Swedru Government Hospital for care on many occasions but were later referred to see a Specialist at FOCOS on february 2021 for further investigation and treatment.
But for the intervention of the MGF, Linda, a class one pupil of the Catholic Family School at Gomoa Adukwa in the Central Region of Ghana, whose parents are small scale farmers would not have been able to bear the cost of the surgery.
With keen interest in Science, Linda aspires to become a Medical Doctor in future.
Making the donation, Chairperson of MGF, Miss Inna Mariam Patty, reiterated that the foundation was passionate about impacting lives positively through it projects such as helping pay the cost of surgery for children suffering from scoliosis as one of the firm’s social intervention projects under health.
She added that this was a unique way of commemorating the Exclusive Events Ghana limited, the organisers of the Miss Ghana Beauty Pageant’s 10th anniversary as Franchise holders of the most prestigious Beauty Pageant in Ghana, by giving back to society.
She hinted that there would be similar social intervention projects in the course of the year to mark the 65th Anniversary of Miss Ghana beauty pageant and the 10th anniversary of Exclusive Events Ghana.
The reigning Queen and Ambassador of MGF, Monique Mawulawe Agbedekpui, said “February is the season of love and for this reason MGF decided to illustrate through a philanthropic gesture which would go a long way to change the life of young Linda.”
Philanthropist, Mrs. Dixon also appealed to individuals and corporate Ghana to support the works of the Miss Ghana Foundation to help impact the lives of mankind.
“My motivation is that my family and I have been blessed in various ways during our stay in Ghana. And as a woman leader who drives women empowerment, I want to give back to the women of Ghana before I leave the country.”
The Chief Executive Officer of FOCOS Hospital Dr. Irene Adorkor Wulff, who received the donation on behalf of the Hospital, commended Miss Ghana Foundation for their kind gesture over the past years and asked for more support for the almost 3000 children waiting in line.
Also present at the ceremony were Miss Ghana title holders, past contestants over the past decade and Mr. Ghana Brand Ambassador; Bright Ofori among others.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
A former Sec ond Lady, Mrs Matilda Amis sah-Arthur, has called for urgent action to bridge literacy gaps among young girls in the country to advance gender equality.
She stressed that improving lit eracy among girls was essential not only for women’s empowerment but also for national development.
“Addressing the literacy gap is not a woman’s issue. It is a nation al necessity and, with the passing of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act, 2024, Ghana is signalling that women belong in leadership, but leadership begins with a book,” she said.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur made the call at an event organised by the Ghana Library Authority (GLA) in Accra yesterday to mark Interna tional Women’s Day (IWD) on the theme: “Her Voice in Libraries: Women Transforming Literacy in Ghana.”
According to her, many girls in Ghana still drop out of school due to poverty, lack of mentorship and limited support systems, warning that without deliberate interven tions some risk becoming part of worrying national statistics.
The former Second Lady encouraged students, particularly girls, to see education not only as a tool for personal advancement but also as a means of empowering future generations.
“Don’t shy away from STEM and ICT subjects. Break into the male-dominated areas and bridge the digital divide,” she added.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur also called for stronger partnerships between men and women in advancing gen der equality, stressing that the issue should be viewed as a national development priority rather than solely a women’s concern.
“Gender equality is not a woman’s issue. It is a development issue. It requires partnership, respect and shared responsibility,” she said.
She further expressed opti mism that with the right support systems, every child, regardless of gender, could achieve their full potential.
In a remark, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, Lydia Essuah, said that despite progress made in promoting gender equality in the education sector, challenges remained in ensuring progression, completion and quality learning outcomes for all learners.
She highlighted the important role of libraries in advancing liter acy and lifelong learning skills, and called for increased investment in library infrastructure and services to help build a knowledge-driven society.
The Executive Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Alhassan Ziblim Bentintiche, also under scored the importance of libraries in empowering young people, par ticularly girls, with access to books, digital resources and mentorship opportunities.
He disclosed plans to expand Ghana’s library infrastructure and services to particularly attract the youth and promote literacy.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
Management of the Metro Mass Transit Limited has accused the government of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of pursuing what it describes as a “create, loot and share” agenda in the sale of portions of the Opera Square Bus Terminal to a private developer.
The Deputy Managing Director of the company, Haroun Apaw-Wiredu, raised the concerns while speaking to journalists at the Opera Square Bus Terminal in Accra on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
He indicated that the management of Metro Mass Transit would not tolerate any further unauthorized development at the terminal and would take steps to protect the property.
According to him, it would be wrong for a private developer to take control of state property for personal economic gain while the company and the public remain silent.
“How can we sit down and allow a private developer, just for his selfish economic gains, to capture state property for himself? No, we cannot sit down,” he stressed.
Mr Apaw Wiredu called on the public to resist what he described as attempts to take over state assets, adding that such actions would disadvantage ordinary citizens.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we must all stand up. We must all wake up. We must fight this level of brazen looting and attempts to milk the system at the expense of ordinary Ghanaians,” he indicated.
He explained that some individuals had been operating around the terminal for many years and alleged that the developer gained access to the land during the previous administration.
Mr Apaw Wiredu stressed that under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, the company would pursue all legitimate means to protect the terminal from what he described as unlawful takeover.
He added that management would use every legal avenue available to defend the property and prevent any attempt to take control of the land without proper authorization.
By: Jacob Aggrey
