News
Businesses must brace themselves for the possible take-overs -– Rev. Okosun
Integrity Magazine, a subsidiary of Krif Ghana Limited, has held the maiden edition of a series of webinars aimed at promoting good corporate governance amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Themed “Effects of COVID-19 on Good Corporate Governance in Ghana”, which was held on Tuesday in Accra, it served as a platform for businesses to discuss the next strategic steps to take in order to sail through the coronavirus crisis with minimal losses.
Speaking on the effects of the pandemic on companies, Rev. Kennedy Okosun, Executive Chairman of Krif Ghana Limited and Publisher of the Integrity Magazine, said many organisations would “have to brace themselves for the possibility of take-overs”.
According to him, “there might be critical unanswered questions rummaging through the minds of many as we move into a period of a new normal.
“Our culture, corporate behaviour and organisational output are going to be affected, whether we like it or not. Organisations will never go back to doing business as usual, or doing business the way they knew how,” he said.
Rev. Okosun noted that businesses must be ready to embrace the positive or negative changes which may occur after the pandemic, adding that businesses would also have to make far “reaching decisions regarding liquidity and capital considerations”.
He argued that the COVID-19 era was also testing the leadership and management structures of organizations, hence the need for businesses to identify gaps and then strengthen the areas where they may be falling short.
Mr Michael Osikoya, the Chief Executive Officer of Mikensy Consulting Limited, examining the effects of COVID-19 on various stakeholders, also said, “Just as we are recording human fatality, we may not be able to account for the number of businesses that suffer similar ‘fatality’ from the hands of COVID -19.”
He noted that though the pharmaceutical industry was believed to have benefited from the crisis, industries including tourism and leisure, aviation and maritime, automotive, construction, real estate and manufacturing, were hard-hit by the pandemic.
“Government has been affected adversely by this virus because it has had to provide various stimulus packages and dole out free cash to support various stakeholders, interest groups, businesses and citizens.
“Hard decisions had to be taken, government has lost income from taxes and has resorted to borrowing as part of measures to bring the economy back on track,” he added.
For the solutions, Mr Osikoya suggested that business, leaders and stakeholders should enter into a “restart” mode to come out of the challenges the virus has imposed on them.
He said that all the various stakeholders in business such as the shareholders, employees, customers and others must forfeit certain benefits to bring back businesses on track.
The webinar brought together leaders from various organisations in the corporate environment in Ghana.
By Spectator Reporter
Medical Doctor and dietician, Dr Bernice Korkor Asare, has urged women to take greater responsibility for their lifestyle choices, particularly their eating habits and levels of physical activity, to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
According to her, although, some breast cancer risk factors, such as family history and certain reproductive factors, may not be within an individual’s control, lifestyle choices offer an opportunity for people to take preventive action.
She made this known during a talk on the topic: “Role of diet in breast cancer prevention” organised by Times Ladies Association of the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in Accra on Thursday.
The event themed “Breast Cancer Awareness- Promoting Early Detection, Healthy Eating and Prevention.” 
She noted that having a risk factor did not automatically mean a person would develop breast cancer, but could increase the likelihood of developing the disease compared with someone without that particular risk factor.
“Having close relatives who have had breast cancer, particularly a mother, sister or daughter, may increase the risk, although not everyone with a family history will develop the disease,” Dr Asare opined. Read More.
By Adizatu K. Munkaila
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
Read Daily News
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Buy Maps
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
A group of compassionate friends from Innovation Gospel Impact last Friday visited the management, teachers and learners of the Street Academy in Accra.
The visit was to interact to get a deeper insight into the operations of the Academy that houses hundreds of street and underprivileged children and find ways to support them.
The team was led by Rev. Dr Isaac Apenteng Yeboah, a former Director for West African Mailbox Club and Director for Prisons Support Foundation, and Rev. Dale Sutherland from Washington DC.
The call, according to the visitors was occasioned by reports about the struggles of the Academy despite the occasional support it enjoys from individuals and some corporate entities.
Briefing them, the Founder and Executive Director of the Academy, Dr Ataa Lartey, thanked them for the concern showed, indicating that “this is a major boost for both teachers and learners; knowing that their plight is known by people outside their premises.”
According Dr Lartey, the Academy had planned to undertake a number of project to enhance teaching and learning and also procure facilities for the children with keen interest in sports but had to shelve those plans for lack of finance.
He told the team that their biggest concerns were the monthly utility bills that takes a toll on their finances.
“We have a piece of land we planned to turn into an astro turf pitch to train the younger ones whose interests lies in making a career out of football, however, we have been unable to commence because there is no money now,” he said.
Dr Lartey expressed gratitude to the teachers who have dedicated their lives to training these children, rather than going for well-paying jobs and hoped that with time, their conditions of engagement would improve.
Moved by the plight of the Academy, the group donated a cash amount of Gh₵3,000 to settle its water bills.
They described as unfortunate the conditions of learners and teachers of the Academy and pledged to continuously support their operations to realize the dream to build a better future for the unfortunate children.
The group offered to support the school with its monthly utility bills, feeding and staff allowance and urged the Academy staff to remain in constant touch with them.
The Street Academy is located at the Accra Art Center and offers brilliant but needy the chance to pursue their educational dreams by enrolling them in public schools with others offered training in sports and cultural activities.
By Spectator Reporter
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
