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ATU, Ideal Home Deco award 6 students with scholarship
The Accra Technical University (ATU) in collaboration with Ideal Home Deco last Thursday awarded six students from the Department of Interior Design and Upholstery Technology with scholarship grants.
The scholarships mean the company management will fully pay the fees of the students for the duration of their programmes.
The recipients were among a total of 24 students that applied for the grant instituted by Ideal Home Deco in partnership with the school.
A total of 10 students were initially shortlisted out of which the best six students were awarded after a careful scrutiny of their application.
The awardees were made up of four females and two males.
They include Ms Sonia Anne Carole and Ms Gloria Olawarasin (Furniture competition); Doe Anthony and Selina Appiah (Swimming pool design), Dadson Aziz, N’cho Sonia and Rhoda Elorm Ama Nyarku (Open concept design).
The rest among the shortlisted received certificates and parcels.
The Acting Vice Chancellor of ATU, Prof. Amevi Acakpovi, in his welcome address commended Ideal Home Deco for such an initiative to shape the future of the students and bring innovation and creativity to their door steps.
“The school is going to sustain and expand this gesture and make sure more students benefit from this course,” Prof. Acakpovi added.
According to him, “we are in a world of creativity and thus students must be fully prepared to meet the realities out there and not just having certificates.”
He congratulated recipients and urged them to continue to strive for excellence and push the Department of Interior Design to new heights.
The Managing Director of Ideal Home Deco, Mr Tony Haikal, said the company was happy to partner the university to run the course, adding that the initiative will open doors to talented and passionate individuals who want to excel in the world of entrepreneurship.
According to him, the initiative formed part of the company’s corporate social responsibility to promote students creativity and innovation in the country.
He stated that the scholarship scheme was not just about the financial support being offered to the students.
“It is about recognising and inspiring the youth to do more,” Mr Haikal emphasised.
“I will also take this opportunity to show my gratitude to ATU for collaborating with us. We will continue to support this worthy cause together.”
Present at the ceremony were delegations from Ideal Home Deco, Interior Design Decorators Ghana (IDDG), Egypt Embassy and guests from Rak Ceramics VAE, VIVRA DECO, Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Ghana and architects council.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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
