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Vivo Energy holds maiden ShePower Summit 2025 to empower women into leadership
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Vivo Energy Ghana, the exclusive distributor and marketer of Shell-branded fuels and lubricants has held its maiden edition of ShePower Summit 2025 with a call on women to own their power and not to wait for permission to lead.
The shePower Summit is designed to inspire and empower young women to excel in their academic and professional journeys, particularly Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
The event, which was on the theme, “Fueling Change: Redefining Possibilities for Women in STEM”, seeks to promote female empowerment and inclusivity in traditionally male-dominated industries, including oil and gas sector.
The occasion formed part of the Vivo Energy’s commemoration of the International Women’s Day and the ongoing commitment to promoting gender diversity and inclusivity.
Dr (Mrs) Ellen Hagan, the Founder and Group CEO, L’AINE Group and Co-Founder/Legacy Girls’ College, who made the call said, “we must own our power, and must stop waiting for permission to lead.
“As women, many of us are taught to second-guess ourselves, to wait for someone else to affirm our worth. But true leaders are those who don’t wait. They don’t need someone to validate their authority – they own it and step boldly into positions of influence,” she stated.
She emphasised, “No one is going to hand us (women) the leadership positions or economic opportunities we deserve in STEM. We must step forward, confidently claiming the spaces that we belong in, and making sure our voices are heard.”
She said leadership was the ultimate frontier of empowerment and that women must be present at the tables where decisions were made – in governments, boardrooms, financial markets, and global institutions.
“Some have played a crucial role in pushing for legislative and institutional reforms to ensure that women are given equal access to leadership and governance roles. As a leader in business, I have seen first-hand the transformative power of women in leadership,” she stated.
Dr Mrs Hagan said, “When women lead, businesses perform better, economies grow, and societies prosper.
Madam Reinette Wessel, Vivo Energy Group Chief HR Officer in a speech encouraged women to devote 80 per cent passion for work and 20 per cent knowledge to improve their conditions of life.
She said Vivo Energy invested in future leaders through their young talent and internship programmes such as Young Talent Programme, Succession Pipelines, and Resource Strategy.
Madam Wessel said under the Young Talent Programme, 400 young talents/graduates joined their business for between six-12 months to gain workplace experience, while the Succession Pipelines strengthened the talent and value the input of young talent, which brought different thinking and ideas.
“Investing in young talent is part of our resourcing strategy – create an exciting and rewarding experience,” she stated.
Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection in a speech read on her behalf said the passage of the Affirmative Action Gender Equity ACT, (Act 1121) by Parliament would strengthen the efforts of increasing women and girls in decision making bodies such as the School Representation Council, among others.
“Additionally, the Ministry has taken steps to review and update the National Gender Policy (2015),” she stated. She said the policy sought to create equal opportunities for all by mainstreaming gender equality and women’s empowerment concerns into the national development process to improve the social, legal, civic, political, economics, and cultural conditions of Ghana.
Dr Lartey said the Ghana Education Service under the auspices of the Ministry of Education had introduced new model schools for STEM schools.
“The introduction of these STEM schools has helped students to develop key skills including problem-solving skills, creativity, digital literacy, and critical thinking. Over five STEM schools have been established and operational.
“The results of these initiatives will invaluably promote gender equality, equity, and empowerment, thereby creating an enabling environment to ensure that more women and girls enter into STEM fields.
GNA
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has strongly criticised the decision of the Court of Appeal to acquit and discharge former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedinam Christine Tamakloe Attionu.
In a statement issued on July 30, 2026, the party described the ruling as a “travesty of justice” and claimed it was politically motivated.
The Court of Appeal on Thursday overturned her conviction and 10-year prison sentence, which had been imposed by the High Court in April 2024 on charges including stealing, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering and breaches of the Public Procurement Act.
According to the NPP, the former MASLOC boss was tried for five years and convicted after the High Court examined evidence relating to alleged financial irregularities during her tenure between 2013 and 2016.
The party noted that she left Ghana while the trial was ongoing and was later extradited from the United States, arriving in Ghana on June 9, 2026.
The NPP argued that the trial court had found that her actions caused a loss of nearly GH¢90 million to the state and that the evidence against her was substantial.
It questioned why the conviction was overturned barely seven weeks after her return to Ghana.
The party further accused the Attorney-General of using state institutions to protect people connected to the governing party.
It claimed that several cases involving persons affiliated with the government had been discontinued since January 2025 and that the acquittal of Madam Tamakloe Attionu was part of that pattern.
The NPP linked the decision to the ongoing case involving its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
It called for his immediate acquittal and discharge, arguing that his conviction was also politically motivated.
The party demanded that the Attorney-General publish details of all cases involving persons linked to the governing party that have been withdrawn, discontinued or otherwise terminated since January 2025, including the reasons for those decisions.
It called on the Judicial Council and the leadership of the Judiciary to take steps to restore public confidence in the justice system.
The NPP said it would pursue all lawful avenues, including a possible review at the Supreme Court where applicable, to ensure accountability in cases involving public funds.
The party maintained that the fight against corruption must not be selective and that public resources belong to all Ghanaians.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame has disagreed with the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit former MASLOC Chief Executive Officer Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, insisting that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Mr Dame made the remarks after the Court of Appeal unanimously overturned her conviction and 10-year prison sentence.
He maintained that the evidence presented by the prosecution during the trial was credible and sufficient to support the conviction.
According to him, Ms Tamakloe absconded after she had been confronted with evidence led by the prosecution.
Mr Dame questioned the basis for the acquittal and suggested that the current Attorney-General should explain what led to the Court of Appeal’s decision.
He wondered whether the appeal had been strongly opposed by the state.
When asked whether he would advise the Attorney-General to challenge the ruling, Mr Dame answered in the affirmative.
“Oh, definitely,” he stated.
The former Attorney-General spoke about the ongoing criminal case involving former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
He indicated that an application for stay of proceedings filed at the High Court had been dismissed, and that a fresh application had been filed at the Court of Appeal.
Mr Dame argued that the charge sheet in the case was defective and that the appellate court should determine the issue before the trial proceeds.
He further criticised the decision to hear the case during the legal vacation, describing it as an “unjustified haste” and saying such trials had not been conducted during vacation periods in the past.
Mr Dame said his legal team would formally protest the directive allowing the case to proceed during the vacation.
The Court of Appeal’s ruling in favour of Ms Tamakloe has become a major legal and political issue, with the Attorney-General’s Department already announcing plans to appeal the decision at the Supreme Court.
By: Jacob Aggrey
