News
IFMA-Ghana calls for professionalism in public facility management
Members of the Ghana Chapter of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) have asked government to enforce legislations regarding the design and use of environmentally friendly materials in the construction of public buildings.
It wants government to adopt Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to ensure long term maintenance and sustainability of public facilities.
Ahead of the celebration of World Facility Management Day on May 11, 2022, the association emphasised the need for professionalism in the management of public spaces.
World Facility Management Day is to celebrate the successes of professional facility managers and help address challenges that persist in the sector.
Mr. Sampson Opare-Agyemang, President of the Ghana Chapter of IFMA, speaking at the launch of the celebrations on Wednesday, said outsourcing facility management to professional organisations “is the best practice.”
Facility Management, he explained, involved “building management from the design stage to enhance its overall life cycle,” hence the need for the government to establish a facility management department or agency for proper “infrastructure management and regulation” in the country.”
“Facility management influences the health, safety, productivity and well-being of people who “utilise the built environment.
“The challenge today in our built environment is not just lack of maintenance culture rather lack of understanding of the value of facility management by governments, business owners and financial institutions,” he noted.
Mr. Opare-Agyemang said the Ghana Chapter of IFMA would focus on “the earth, health and well-being in a post-COVID hybrid working environment” in the country as it joined the worldwide celebrations in a few weeks.
Activities for the celebrations in Ghana are Round table discussions on the strategic role of facility management as well as a tour of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport Company (BOST) among others.
The International Facility Management Association, founded in 1980, is the recognised association of facility management professionals which has about 24,000 members in over 106 countries.
The Ghana Chapter of IFMA was approved in August 2009 and currently has over 200 professional members. The Association recently entered a partnership with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to introduce a Master of Science (MSc) programme in Facility Management.
Mr. Opare-Agyemang said the association intended to partner other institutions to help train more facility managers.
By Ernest Nutsugah
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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