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COV1D collapses my business… blind man laments
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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected several people badly in so many ways but that of Seth Kwame Ajimi a.k.a Skanjimi seems more terrible as he has to struggle as a blind person and a drinking spot owner.
Unless there is a divine intervention, the 59-year-old man would continue to wallow in financial difficulty. In an interview with The Spectator, he described his situation in this COVID-19 era as “terrible.”
Mr. Ajimi who became blind 11 years ago as a result of a domestic accident said that going through life as a physically challenged had been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic.
He explained that before now, “blind people could conveniently touch surfaces and people to help them with their movement but the outbreak of the deadly disease has put them at the disadvantage.”
“Now we are told to avoid touching surfaces and also practise social distancing so you understand me when I say life has not been easy,” he explained.
The Operator of the Skanjimi Spot located in the Kpone Katamanso Municipality of the Greater Accra Region said that his business which entailed the sale of food and drinks was affected when a railway line was constructed around his spot but he was managing to survive until March last year when there was the COVID-19 and subsequently a lockdown and this had put him in an awkward situation.
“That was when I fell flat on the floor. I had to send some of my workers away and run the place with the help of a boy who helps me with my movement and one staff,” he lamented.
He said persons who operated bars, spots, pubs among other related businesses had been ordered not to run full time but nothing or little had been done to support people like him.
The visually impaired said that people hardly patronised his spot these days yet he had to “squeeze” to pay his bills and provide hygiene materials to keep his place safe from the coronavirus in order to protect himself and his customers.
He said that he had been trying to put up a chamber and hall building when business was good but it had stalled because he could hardly raise money from his business to continue the project.
Mr. Ajimi said he feared his current landlord may be compelled to eject him for his inability to promptly pay rent and called on the public to support him in both cash and kind to survive, hoping to come out of the wood since “the downfall of a man is not the end of his life”.
From Dzifa Tetteh, Kpone
Businessman Mr. Ibrahim Mahama has denied reports linking him to a takeover bid for the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO).
His reaction follows a demonstration by members of the VALCO Labour Union today, during which some protesters alleged that Mr. Mahama was interested in acquiring the state-owned aluminium company.
In a statement issued by his Special Aide, Rafik Mahama, the businessman said he has “no such interest” and has not made any offer to acquire VALCO.
“The allegation is the latest in several vile attempts to impute the integrity of Mr. Ibrahim Mahama and subject him to needless public engagements,” the statement said.
The statement added that Mr. Mahama’s business track record speaks for itself, describing his companies as “some of the best-run operations across the African continent.”
It further noted that all of Mr. Mahama’s business interests were “legally commenced or acquired” and operate within the law a fact it said explains why his businesses have endured across seven election cycles.
“Mr. Mahama remains committed to contributing his quota to the development of Ghana by investing in business opportunities in Ghana and beyond,” the statement added.
The statement also disclosed that Mr. Mahama has instructed his lawyers to take the necessary legal action over the publication and allegations.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The leadership of Kristo Asafo has dismissed reports circulating on social media and in some media outlets that the late Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka will be buried on July 30, 2026, describing the claim as false.
The current head of the Kantanka family and leader of Kristo Asafo, Kwadwo Safo Akofena Kantanka, addressed the issue during a press conference in Accra today.
He said no burial date has been set and urged members of the church and the general public to disregard any unofficial announcements.
“I urge the members of Kristo Asafo and the nation to disregard any burial date out there,” Akofena said.
He further stressed that neither the leadership of the church nor the Kantanka family has made any such announcement regarding the funeral.
According to him, all official funeral arrangements will be communicated only through a formal statement from the Kantanka family when the time is due.
Akofena Safo Kantanka said the family remains united in ensuring that the final funeral rites are conducted in a manner that befits the legacy of the late Apostle.
He called on Ghanaians to remain calm and wait for the official communication from the family, warning against the spread of misinformation.
Background
Apostle Dr. Ing. Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, founder and spiritual leader of Kristo Asafo Mission of Ghana, passed away recently, plunging the church and the nation into mourning.
The late Apostle was widely known not only as a religious leader but also as an industrialist, inventor, and founder of the Kantanka Group of Companies, which manufactures vehicles and other machinery in Ghana.
Since his passing, there has been heightened public interest in his funeral arrangements.
It would be recalled that a faction of the siblings and family led by former MP Adwoa Safo had earlier announced a proposed burial date and arrangements.
That announcement, however, has been rejected by the current leadership of both the church and the family.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
