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Public Relations amidst COVID-19: Top 10 female practitioners for year 2020
Every year Women in PR Ghana, a networking platform aimed at mentoring the next generation of young Public Relations and communications professionals releases a list of female practitioners valuable contributions towards the growth of their organisations or private enterprises.
In spite of the disruptions caused by COVID-19, some practitioners still defied the odds to make a mark in their respective organisations. The top 10 outstanding women in 2020 were named recently and, as expected, some popular names popped up again.
According to Women in PR, the list was compiled based on how the women tackled COVID-19, through “internal and external communications”, and how they used the period to “impact the vulnerable” in society.”
Here is a summary of their achievements and impact, as published by Women in PR Ghana.
Ms Esther Cobbah (CEO, Stratcomm Africa)
The award- winning practitioner and advocate of green environment was listed for using her social media platforms to host live conversations on ‘Green Living’ and offer useful tips to her followers on how to start, grow and maintain simple green plots/gardens at home.
Her organisation, Stratcomm Africa, supported the national communications efforts by rolling out series of communication campaigns such as “Koo the COVID Prefect” in the ‘Fante’ dialect to educate the public on COVID-19.
The 8th edition of her annual Ghana Garden and Flower Show which usually took place as a physical event was hosted virtually due to restrictions on physical activities.
Ms Shirley Tony Kum (Corporate Communications Manager, Vivo Energy)
Throughout year 2020, Shirley is said to have led and driven several sustainable and impactful projects within her industry.
Her organisation, Vivo Energy (Shell) launched an initiative dubbed ‘Retailer Sustainability Programme’ to complement government’s efforts in combating COVID-19.
The programme led the organisation to roll out a number of interventions for their staff and local communities.
She led her team to win some awards including Excellence Award in Corporate Social Responsibility (Downstream) at the Ghana Oil and Gas Awards.
She was adjudged the ‘Unsung Hero’ for her outstanding contribution to the Oil and Gas Industry under the Vivo Energy brand and also won the ‘Corporate Lady of the Year ‘ at the 2020 Women’s Choice Awards Africa.
Ms Cynthia Eyram Ofori-Dwumfuo (Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Hollard Ghana)
During the COVID-19, she led her team at Hollard Ghana to develop a communication strategy through the use of affection emojis (a small digital image or icon used to express an idea or emotion) on branded bus stop shelters.
The emojis were the team’s way of communicating love and care to the many individuals affected by the pandemic.
In October 2020, Cynthia led her team to pay the road tolls of over 20,000 motorists as a gesture of appreciation and care, as part of the company’s customer service week celebration and she led her organisation to make donations to relevant institutions.
Ms Cassandra Twum Ampofo (Head of Public Relations Unit, Ghana Education Service)
The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of schools and presented some hard times to her institution, however, Cassandra was prepared to provide adequate information on every issue raised with resilience and tenacity.
She is credited for improving brand visibility of the Ghana Education Service (GES both online and in mainstream media.
GES partnered the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation to introduce the Ghana Learning TV — a free-to-air channel to bridge the learning gap during the lockdown and closure of schools.
In September 2020, she won the Communications Personality of the Year at the National Communications Awards.
Ms Sophia Lissah (Group Head, Communications, Jospong Group of Companies)
Ms. Sophia’s organisation had made a number of logistic and financial contribution towards the fight against COVID-19, such as cash donations to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) to promote research on COVID-19, and had also led nationwide disinfection of schools, markets, and other public places.
Ms Praise Nutakor (Head of UNDP Ghana’s Communications Unit)
In 2020, she led her organisation on a number of campaigns and interventions such as the ‘For Better Business Together’ programme, ‘Youth Impact Series’, ‘COVID-19 Intervention Challenge’, ‘Digital Transformation and Financial Inclusion’, ‘Ballots without Bullets’, among others.
Nana Efua Rockson (Head, Communications & Public Relations of the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration, UNESCO Category II Centre)
Until her current role with UNESCO, she was the Group Head, Corporate Affairs & Marketing of GLICO GROUP Limited. During the pandemic, her organisation donated some essential items to the Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana Air Force among others.
In the course of the year, she was awarded at the Ghana Insurance Awards 2020 for her contribution to the Insurance industry in sustaining a vibrant brand at GLICO while serving on various committees to create insurance awareness.
Ms Josephine Appiah Nyamekye (Afrobarometer Communications Coordinator for Anglophone West Africa CDD-Ghana
COVID-19 presented an opportunity for her team to explore innovative strategies to help strengthen CDD-Ghana and Afrobarometer’s partnerships with its stakeholders.
She had been instrumental in helping CDD-Ghana and Afrobarometer feed into national and international discourse and policy discussions on COVID-19.
In 2020, Ms Josephine (co)authored about a dozen research papers and blogposts some of which were featured on platforms such as the Washington Post and Brookings Institution.
She was instrumental in leading the Communication’s Team of Coalition of Domestic Elections Observers (CODEO) to provide information about the electoral environment.
Ms Georgina Asare Fiagbenu (Senior Manager for Corporate Communications – MTN Ghana)
During the pandemic, her organisation’s foundation (MTN Foundation) distributed Personal Protective Equipment to support the fight against COVID-19 across various health facilities in the 16 regions.
Ms Silvia Owusu- Ankomah (Corporate Relations Director, Guinness Ghana Breweries PLC)
Sylvia and the Guinness Ghana team, having recognised the dire impact of COVID-19, took steps to roll out a loyalty initiative dubbed ‘Rise Up’ where they invested significant funds to support their trade partners and customers to get back to business.
Sylvia and her team introduced ‘Link Up’ – a promotion which offered consumers sufficient mobile phone airtime whenever they purchased the companies range of products.
She again led her team to unveil Guinness Ghana’s new corporate identity with a refreshed and redesigned logo as part of activities to celebrate the brand’s 60 years of impact in Ghana.
By Spectator Reporter
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Speaker of Parliament inaugurates open Parliament Steering Committee, launches action plan
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has launched the Open Parliament Steering Committee and the Open Parliament Action Plan.
The ceremony was under the theme “Achieving Gender Equality: Action by Action.”
The Speaker highlighted the critical role Parliament plays in translating the will of the people into inclusive legislation, responsive policies, and accountable governance.
“The International Day of Parliamentarianism is worth celebrating, as it offers an opportunity not only to recognise and promote achievements in strengthening democratic governance, but also to pause and reflect on the remaining gaps in institutionalising parliamentary democracy,” he said.
He noted that the event was scheduled to coincide with the International Day of Parliamentarianism to reinforce the importance of open and inclusive governance.
The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, stated that the International Day of Parliamentarianism is intended to recognise the vital role Parliaments play globally as pillars of democratic governance.
He noted that this marks the first time Ghana is formally observing the day.
“The gravity of our observance is further accentuated as we convene to witness the launch of the Open Parliament Action Plan by the Open Government Partnership Caucus,” he said.
Delivering a statement on behalf of the Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, described the Open Parliament Action Plan as a transformative initiative aimed at strengthening the relationship between Parliament and the public.
She said the plan represents a bold commitment to making Parliament more transparent, accessible, and responsive to the needs of Ghanaians.
The Clerk to Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, described the launch as a key milestone in the effort to build a citizen-focused and accountable Parliament.
He added that the International Day of Parliamentarianism is a call to action to recommit to the highest standards of public service and democratic accountability.
The inauguration was attended by a wide range of stakeholders, including the Majority and Minority Members of Parliament, members of the Open Parliament Steering Committee, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Caucus, Parliamentary Network Africa, representatives from civil society organisations, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional and religious leaders, student bodies, the Parliamentary Press Corps, and other media partners.
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NACOC declares drug menace a national emergency
The Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Interior has paid a working visit to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to engage with its leadership and assess operational challenges hampering the fight against illicit drugs.
In a detailed presentation, Dr. Basha Ligbi, Head of the Commission’s Research Bureau, highlighted critical setbacks including broken body scanners at airport terminals, inadequate office infrastructure, overcrowded detention facilities, and deteriorating vehicles.
He also called for the Commission’s headquarters to be reclassified as a security zone, citing growing security risks due to private encroachment and nearby high-rise developments.
Director General of NACOC, Brigadier General Maxwell Obiba Mantey, described the escalating drug trade as a national emergency, warning that drug barons now rival armed robbers in threat level and are gaining influence at the highest levels.
He appealed for stronger institutional support and morale-boosting interventions to preserve the integrity of NACOC officers.
Chairman of the Committee and MP for Builsa North, James Agalga, assured the Commission of the Committee’s commitment to escalate the concerns to Parliament and engage key justice sector stakeholders to fast-track reforms in support of NACOC’s mandate.
