Features
COVID-19 ‘locks down’ Accra New Town printing business
The name “Accra New Town” may suggest the area is a new settlement in the national capital but it is not.
The suburb dates back to many decades with an interesting history that deserves its separate spotlight.
If there is anything new about Accra New Town, it is definitely not the printing press business.
Like Abossey Okai is synonymous with vehicle spare parts, the vicinity is the hub of almost all printing needs from books, posters, invitation cards, t-shirts, branded souvenirs, banners, calendars and more.
Sight, smell and sounds
A cursory look is enough to confirm why it is the hub of printing; there are countless outlets of all magnitudes and ancillary businesses crowded along major streets there.
The sight and sound of printing machines, computer keyboards, cutting machines alongside the smell of ink and fresh paper, topped up with a display of beautifully designed banners and signages are characteristic of this area especially “High street”.
Things fall part
But in the last three months, COVID-19 pandemic has figuratively disconnected the power to the printing hub resulting in the temporal turning off of many printing machines.
The business is bearing the brunt of restrictions on social gatherings like weddings, funerals, churches, schools, workshops and other events, which has drastically declined the printing of invitation, programmes, flyers, exercise books, and souvenirs.
COVID-19 Restrictions
President Nana Addo Dankwa in March imposed various restrictions on social gatherings such as church, political party activities, as part of measures to curb the COVID-17 with only 25 expected to attend private funerals.
After weeks of economic meltdown, the restrictions were eased on May 31 with church, weddings, conferences, funeral expected to have not more than 100 people and adherence to social distance protocols.
As of June 12, the country had recorded 11,118 confirmed cases out of which 3,979 people had recovered with 48 succumbing to the virus.
Even though the restrictions have been eased some owners of printing houses in the town has it has not eased the pain suffered by the economic blow dealt the sector by the pandemic.
Impact
Many printing outlets at New Town have closed down. Those still open have either laid-off their staff or frozen their engagement until further notice. Clients do not walk in in their numbers. The industry is on ice.
Inkit Ghana Limited is one of the biggest signage and digital printing company in Accra New Town and Ken Sarfo, a staff, tells the Ghanaian Times that the pandemic has gravely affected business.
Before the pandemic, he said, the company could print about 10,000 different items within a day including 500 pieces of funeral booklets but now the company handles just about 100 in some days.
“There is virtually no business. Our business comes if there are social gatherings. So definitely the restrictions are having a great impact on the business” he said.
According to Mr Sarfo, the church was one of their biggest clients but due to the low key Easter celebration, they lost out on the printing of posters, banners and other advertising materials.
“By this time in an election year, we would have been printing a lot of party paraphernalia but there are no political activities. Jobs do not come”, he said adding that most clients who come in prefer softcopies of invitation cards and posters so they distribute on social media.
Electricity reliefs and MSME support
The Government has absorbed 50 per cent of the electricity bill for residential and commercial consumers, for three months, which began in April, as part of reliefs to support industry, enterprises and the service sector who have been hard hit by the impact of the restrictions to curb the pandemic.
Additionally, a GH₵1 billion Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) business support programme has been instituted to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with soft loans to survive the impact of the pandemic on their operations.
But according to Ebenezer Sarpong, a caretaker of an a printing press which he asked not to be named, all these measures were good but for the printing industry it would not soothe their pain because “ our business thrives on events, so if there are no events, we do not exist”.
He would not say how much his company has lost but indicated that the printing industry in general has lost millions of cedis.
Contribution to awareness creation
Kwame Boahen, a freelance designer called on the government to collaborate with graphic designers so they produce awareness creation materials adding that” it is through this collaboration that we could get something small to heal our wounds.”
Glimmer of hope
The sad tale of the industry’s woes was the same in other outlets the Ghanaian Times visited.
But one thing that ended most of the narrations of the interviewees was a prayer that the pandemic would be over before the last quarter of the year .
This is because they are still hoping to make money from intense political campaigns, weddings and funerals that usually define that time of the year.
“We hope and pray that God heals our land so life returns to normal”, Mr Sarfo of Inkit said.
Until this prayer is answered and all restrictions lifted, it appears the industry would remain locked down by COVID-19.
Source: Ghanaian Times
Today, I focus on the Global Methodist Church in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland. I give special attention to the Ghanaian Methodist Fellowship, which is under the Global Methodist Church in Finland.
The Global Methodist Church in Finland is quite new, having split from the United Methodist Church Finland.
The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
Some history
The Methodist Church in Finland has existed for over 100 years since 1800s. It was conducted mainly in the Finnish language, according to Pastor Freeman Awuah. In 2012, a Finnish member of the Helsinki church and the then Mr Freeman Awuah, a Ghanaian immigrant who had joined the church, started bible studies which was turned into the English version of the church.
Many Ghanaians joined and they formed the Ghana Fellowship church within the Finnish Methodist church with services conducted in Twi.
In 2025, the Ghana Methodist Fellowship joined the Global Methodist Church and became quite well grounded. The Methodist Church generally does not have much influence in Finland as compared to the Lutheran and Orthodox churches. Even so, the Global Methodist Church currently has two branches, in Espoo and Lahti.
The Church has three ordained pastors, with the Finnish pastor as the leader of the church, assisted by Pastor Freeman Awuah (who was ordained a pastor a few years ago) and another Ghanaian pastor (Pastor Paul Brewu, who was recently ordained).
Activities and achievements of the Church
The Global Methodist Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11 in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. When the service is done in Finnish there is English translation, and there is the service by the Ghana Methodist Fellowship, which meets once a month.
There are other meetings on other days when the church has what is termed Community Fellowship (Bible Studies) on Tuesdays in English, Thursdays in Finnish and Fridays in Twi at 6 pm.
The Global Methodist Church in Finland continues to shepherd people in their religious lives for God’s glory. The church opens its doors to people of every nationality, including Finns, other Europeans, and other African migrants, aside those of Ghanaian origins.
“We are a family church because we are a family to other migrants and we care for the needs of each other or others in all situations that we can be of help.
For example, in the women’s group, we have an organisation in Finland which works to fight against human trafficking. The women’s group has also adopted an orphanage in Ghana where we help the less privileged ones”, Pastor Awuah revealed.
But there are also challenges, according to Pastor Freeman, as with any new group or institution that faces initial obstacles. Also, the COVID-19 situation brought a huge challenge such as physical resources and logistics. The lockdowns resulted in church services not conducted regularly, and done online. People are still interested in online worships than physical meetings, he said, adding: “We are trusting God to help”.
Impact of the Ghanaian migrant community
The Global Methodist Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
The Ghanaian community has great impact since majority of the church membership are of Ghanaian origin (about 60 per cent). There are other nationalities and it is thus a very multicultural body.
Integration
By its activities, the Global Methodist Church is thus helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society.
This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Global Methodist Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
Email: perpetual.crentsil@yahoo.com
I picked Kwakyewa up, and we drove to the site on the Aburi road. We drove for some five minutes, and a security man opened the gate, and we entered the 40 acre plot secured with a fence wall.
‘Here we are. I have just started buying materials. I am planning on building one hundred apartments, and fifty top class houses’. ‘
David, are you telling me that this is all yours?’
‘Yes. All mine. I carefully engaged with the chief of the town, and his elders. I paid him all the arranged monies, in the presence of his people. And I have started work on a school building for the town, and I’m renovating his palace. When the block of houses is sold, I will invest the bulk of the funds here.
I will start with twenty houses, without taking any loan. When I sell them, then I will build many more’.
We went round the site, and spoke with the workers who were clearing the land. After an hour we went back in the car and drove off. ‘You are not saying anything, Kwakyewaa’. ‘
What can I say? It’s just incredible. I will stay for as long as you need me’.
Many thanks, Kwakyewaa.
I will count on your support. I will continue working with the EU for another couple of years, so I will be up north a lot of the time. So you will be in charge’. After spending another couple of hours at the city centre site, we decided on lunch’.
We got down at Sankofa, and I took her hand as we walked to take our seats. After taking a sip of my drink I looked across the big room and saw Abena staring at us, a look of utter shock on her face. She continued to stare as Kwakyewaa spoke about the changes she had to make due to her extended stay in Ghana. After a while I ignored her and focused on the discussion.
‘Now listen, Kwakyewaa, this is a most important part of what we have started to do, as a couple, and as business partners.
For starters, I would like you to prepare a budget of the expenses you need to make as a result of postponing your return and staying here for three months, and I will pay you the money.
In the coming days we will decide on how much money you need to be comfortable. Then, later on, we will take the bigger decisions resulting from continuing with the relationship.
Suddenly she got off from her seat, sat on my lap and hugged me, as the other guests watched in appreciation. Unfortunately I could not look in Abena’s direction.
We parted at the office at the close of day. Kwakyewa joined Eva and Robert for the drive home, as I drove home. Although I was playing my favourite jazz tunes, my head was spinning with thoughts of Kwakyewaa. Abena was beautiful, but Kwakyewaa was in a completely different league altogether.
And she combined queenly beauty with incredible sharpness of mind. She calculated business issues with ease, and she planned and recorded everything. And to top it all, it was obvious from the first day that she cared about me.
This time, business was going well, but the relationship side was also cool. This time, I could forget about Abena and her big ego and sharp tongue.
I sat to watch TV, but started feeling sleepy, so I rose to go and lie down when my phone rang. It was Kwakyewaa. ‘Bernard, Abena just came in. She’s furious. She’s throwing verbal bombs at Esaaba, saying things like “if you think you will insult me by fixing David Kwakyewaa, you are joking.
If I wanted Bernard I wouldn’t have thrown him out. David is junk. She can have him. I’ve gotten someone far better than him. You are all stupid”. ‘
And what did Esaaba say?’ asked.
‘We didn’t say anything. Which made her angrier, so she rained insults for quite some time, and went to her room’.
‘Nice one. It’s good you ignored her. Hey look! She has just sent me a message. Let me check and get back to you’.
I opened the message and read. ‘Bernard, so you are now Kwakyewaa’s boyfriend. Congrats. I thought you would spend sometime to improve yourself before trying to get a girlfriend, but obviously you think otherwise. Pray that she also doesn’t throw you out soon’. I sent her a reply.
‘Madam, I’m tired of your insults and lies. I will come and show this to Mom first thing tomorrow, and tell her about the things you have been saying about me. I may also do you a favour by telling her about a certain transaction by which Jennifer sold an arrogant girl for peanuts.
Goodnight’. She called me numerous times, but I did not pick her call. At six following morning, my doorbell rang, and I went to find Abena and Esaaba, and let them in. ‘David’, Esaaba said after I had offered them seats, I hear you have threatened to come and see Mom this morning to tell her about the message Abena sent to you. Well, we have come to apologize to you, not only for the message but also for anything she has said about you.
She says it will not happen again, so please forgive her, and cancel your plan of coming to see Mom’.
‘Yes, David’, Abena said. ‘I am very sorry. I promise it will never happen again’.
‘Okay. I accept your apology, even though the things you’ve been saying were not true, and they really hurt me, because I did not get the chance to defend myself to the people who heard it’.
‘And David’, Abena said, please do me a favour. ‘You said Jennifer sold me for peanuts. Is it true, or you were just rebutting what I said’.
‘Let’s do it this way’, I said. ‘Call Jennifer, and ask her if it is true that she was paid by your boyfriend for fixing you with him. I’ve heard he has not given her the full amount, so she has been calling him to demand the balance’. ‘I don’t believe it, but let me call her and see’.
She called Jennifer. After a few moments she started shedding tears. ‘Esaaba let’s go’, she said quietly. I walked them to the roadside and hired a taxi to take them home.
At the office a couple of hours later, Kwakyewaa came to sit by my desk and looked straight at my face.
‘So what happens now? Esaaba told me what transpired at your house. ‘What she does is none of my business. Maybe she will go and sort things out with her rich boyfriend’.
‘I was afraid she would decide to fight to have you back. I have been really worried’.
‘Are you joking? We have already agreed on what Esaaba calls a smooth transfer. We have a relationship, and I’m very pleased with it. Let’s make plans for the future as we agreed’.
‘Okay. I have already started implementing my plan. I have told my parents about you, and my plan. They have accepted it. From this evening, I will spend a lot of time with you, at your house. Now, let’s talk about activities for today’.
By Ekow de Heer
