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FEDCO and partners hand over new classroom block at Pieso
Federated Commodities Limited (FEDCO), a licensed cocoa buying company (LCBC) and partners, VALRHONA SA and Walter Matter, have constructed a Junior High School (JHS) classroom block for residents at Pieso in the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipality of the Western Region.
Estimated at GH¢ 900,000, the new block which has an Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre, headmaster’s office, staff common room, a storeroom and other facilities, formed part of FEDCO’s corporate social responsibility programmes to ensure quality teaching in its operational areas.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony at Pieso recently, the Managing Director of FEDCO, Mrs Maria Adamu-Zibo, explained the group’s desire to expand and increase access to education at the basic levels in its operational areas.
She said the construction demonstrates the company’s commitment to provide holistic education for pupils in the area, adding that the new school block would increase school enrolment.
“We don’t want children to be marginalised and deprived. This is a huge investment FEDCO and partners have made let’s have a good culture of maintenance for the buildings to attract other assistance in future,” she said.
The Director of Special Services at Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Mr. Charles Amenyaglo, said COCOBOD and the government, had provided scholarships to students to ensure they did not labour on cocoa farms or travel long distances to access education.
He said the foundation intended to establish state-of–the-art recreational facilities in schools in the region, and therefore appealed traditional leaders to make land available for the project.
Cocoa Sourcer, VALHORNA SA, Cedric Robin, said over the years, the partners had built schools in Pieso and beyond to reduce infrastructure deficit in the municipality and also nurture future manpower needs.
The Municipal Education Director (MED), Sebastian Atrama Diaw, congratulated FEDCO for helping tackle some of the educational challenges in the area.
He, however, appealed to FEDCO to consider building a teachers’ quarters for the school as to retain staff posted to Pieso.
The Chief of Pieso, Nana Kwamina Badu, applauded FEDCO for its exemplary leadership in the education sector and asked other well-meaning organisations to do same.
From Clement Adzei Boye, Pieso
A total of 294 girls missed out on the first phase of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination exercise in the Ayawaso West Municipality, following challenges with parental consent.
Out of the 997 girls targeted in the first round in October this year, only 703 received the vaccine, representing 70 per cent coverage.
Ms Patience Adoli Kporxah, a Public Health Nurse at the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal Health Directorate, disclosed this in an interview with The Spectator, identifying parents’ refusal to grant consent as the major obstacle to achieving the vaccination target.
“One of our major challenges was the lack of consent from parents. A lot of parents did not give their consent for their wards to receive the vaccine,” she revealed.
She explained that the directorate had embarked on extensive public education and stakeholder engagements before the exercise to encourage parents to allow their daughters to receive the vaccine.
The interventions included media publicity, letters sent to schools to inform parents, engagements with parents during Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings, and consultations with community leaders.
Churches, mosques and media houses within the municipality were also engaged to help spread information about the vaccination exercise.
Despite the challenges, Ms Kporxah said the directorate had adequate logistics to undertake the exercise, indicating that the major difficulty was securing parental approval rather than a shortage of resources.
She said the Directorate would intensify its engagement with parents, teachers and other stakeholders ahead of the next phase to improve acceptance and coverage.
Ms Kporxah also urged parents whose daughters missed the exercise to take advantage of the opportunity to get them vaccinated at any government health facility, since the HPV vaccine had now been incorporated into Ghana’s routine immunisation programme.
She expressed optimism about the second round of the exercise, scheduled for November and December, saying the directorate would sustain its engagement with schools and parents in order to ensure that more eligible girls received the vaccine.
The HPV vaccine protects against infection with certain types of Human Papillomavirus, which cause nearly all cases of cervical cancer. Health authorities continue to encourage vaccination as a key preventive measure against the disease.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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As part of activities marking Customer Service Week, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has awarded 10 Special Load Tariff (SLT) customers in the Ashanti West Region.
On October 27-29, 2026, the Management of the Ashanti West Region visited these key partners to present them with prestigious plaques and branded ECG souvenirs.
The awards celebrated their valued partnership, consistent patronage, prompt bill payments, and enduring loyalty to the ECG brand.
The 10 companies included XY Plywood Ghana, World Cool Stone Quarry, Asawus Company Limited, Kumasi Cement Ghana Limited, Niwota Company, Lancaster Kumasi City Hotel, Guinness Ghana Limited, Twellium Ghana Company Limited, Kasapreko Company Limited PLC and China Mall Kumasi.
Beyond honouring the organisations, the outreach provided regional management with a valuable platform to interact directly with these strategic stakeholders, gain firsthand insight into their operations, and address their teething operational challenges.
Addressing the awardees, Mr George Amoah, General Manager for the Ashanti West Region, expressed gratitude for their contributions to ECG’s success.
He highlighted the inscription on the commemorative plaque: “The Management and Staff of Ashanti West Region present this prestigious award to your reputable company in recognition for your valued partnership, consistent excellence and loyalty to the company. Thank you for choosing ECG.”
Reiterating the theme of the week, Ing. Amoah emphasised that going “the extra mile” was more than a mantra—it is a core work ethic instilled across all staff members in the region.
“We want to keep the lights on to ensure your business is profitable so that you can continue to employ more people to give our youth a better future,” Mr Amoah stated.
He disclosed that ECG was undertaking numerous system improvement projects across the region to stabilise power supply, increase operational capacity, and attract prospective investors.
Speaking on behalf of the recipients, Mr Manikandan Krishnan, Head of Maintenance at Kasapreko Company Ltd PLC, expressed appreciation to ECG for the recognition and for supporting their business growth.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
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