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UBA rewards 2024 NEC winners with $10,000 in scholarship grants
United Bank for Africa Ghana has revealed the winners of its 10th National Essay Competition (NEC) during an awards ceremony held on Monday in Accra.
The top three participants were awarded a total of $10,000 in scholarship grants for their tertiary education anywhere in Africa.
“Out of more than 400 entries submitted nationwide, 12 finalists were selected for their exceptional essays.
The top three winners are Juanita Gobah (Legacy Girls’ College), who secured the grand prize of $5,000 for her outstanding essay. Stephanie Ewurabena Aidoo (Wesley Girls’ High School), awarded $3,000 as the second-place winner and Edmund Elikem McBilly (Accra Academy) got the third prize of $2,000.
The finalists also included: Osei Kianna Agyapomaa (Yaa Asantewaa Girls), Zoe Tetteh-Ashong (Legacy Girls’ College), Yahaya Muslima Nasara (Tamale SHS), Usman Ahmed Bashirudeen Katu (T.I. Ahmadiyya), Alfred Kwaku Dankwa Kyeremeh (Osei Tutu SHS), Kofi Asamoah Asamoah-Okyere (Presbyterian Boys’), Derrick Twumasi Boahene (Presbyterian Boys’ SHS), Suhaila Katari Abdul-Nasir (Aburi Girls’ SHS), Daniella Denteh Ofori (Accra Girls’ SHS).
All the finalists received brand-new laptops, certificate of participation, medals, and branded school bags from the UBA Foundation.
The competition topics were: ‘Discuss the Importance of Environmental Sustainability and Actions Young People Can Take in Combating Climate Change,’ and ‘How Can Agriculture Be Made More Attractive to Young People to Reduce Importation, Create Employment, and Drive Innovation?
The Managing Director/CEO of UBA Ghana, Uzoechina Molokwu, said UBA Group, under the visionary leadership of its chairman, Tony Elumelu, believes that the future of Africa rests in the hands of its youth.
This conviction, he said fuels the bank’s perseverance in empowering the next generation through education and innovative initiatives aimed at bridging the literacy gap across the continent.
Mr Molokwu said the bank has spent over $400,000 over the past 10 years, benefiting 30 winners who are at various levels of education and career and that through this initiative, the bank has produced medical doctors and have one of the winners currently working in the HR department of the bank.
A representative from the Ghana Education Service, Sephina Soku Siaw, commended UBA Ghana for consistently running the competition over the past decade, recognising its vital role in nurturing young talent and fostering a culture of critical thinking.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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