News
Banks urged to offer more digital solutions to customers
President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Rev. Mrs Patricia Sappor, has urged banks to deepen their collaboration with the financial and technology (Fintech) organisations to enable them offer more digitised solutions to customers.
She believed a lot of banks had intensified their digital operations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic but there was still more to be done to improve efficient service delivery.
According to her, banks could reduce operational cost by employing innovative means of doing business, in addition to encouraging clients to patronise digital channels such as Mobile Applications, USSDs, Internet Banking, among others.
Speaking at a virtual seminar to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 on the banking sector, Mrs Sappor tasked banks and other financial institutions to “proactively stay in touch and build good relationships with their clients” and support them through difficult times.
“One of the key impacts of the current pandemic is the emphasis on social distancing and contactless payment options. The situation presents financial institutions with the opportunity for digital transformation both at the front and back office levels,” she said.
Increase partnership with technology firms, she noted, could result in “efficient service delivery, quicker turn-around time and improvement in overall service experience for customers.”
While urging banks to continue observing all COVID-19 protocols, she further urged individuals and entrepreneurs to develop a savings culture.
“Banks have had to re-strategise and re-prioritise projects with the influx of the COVID-19 pandemic. Banks can no longer go back to their old ways of operating since the needs and psyche of customers have changed significantly as a result of COVID-19,” Mrs Sappor noted.
She said procurement of PPE and other items for the wellbeing of staff and customers had, to some extent, increased the operation cost of banks, adding that the pandemic had also led to low deposits, non-performing loans, among other challenges.
“Shareholders may, therefore, experience low returns on their investments and some may not even receive dividends at the end of 2020 financial year,” she added.
The virtual seminar, hosted by Krif Media Limited, brought together players in the industry to deliberate on measures to handle the impact of the pandemic on the sector.
Rev. Kennedy Okosun, Executive Chairman of Krif Ghana Limited, also asked stakeholders to implement strategies to help protect financial institutions from the effects of the pandemic so they could continue to be the “engine of growth” for businesses.
Mrs Abiola Bawuah, Regional CEO of United Bank of Africasaid even though COVID-19 had hit the sector hard, it had presented various opportunities for “thinking outside the box and we must all learn lessons for future interventions.”
Mrs. Mary Brown, former Deputy Managing Director of Prudential Bank, in her speech suggested that banks must set up a “Special Credit Coordinating Room that will be responsible for selling and operationalising the Bank’s Credit Strategy in response to the crisis.”
By Spectator Reporter
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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