Features
Kudos BOST!
• Aerial view of Bulk OilStorage and Transportation
Company Limited facility
If Ghana is to quickly recover from the current economic problems and be able to make things better for all Ghanaians and other residents in the country, then each and everyone will have to play his/her role in support of the country’s national agenda for socioeconomic development.
If certain individuals and groups play their part well while others also keep destroying things, the result will be unpalatable in the sense that not much can be achieved to improve upon the welfare of Ghanaians. It is important to note that the agenda for national development will not be an easy task but if every person agrees to work hard and contribute his/her quota towards national progress, things will be far better for everyone in the country.
SOEs
It is unfortunate that some State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) are not performing well due to greed and corrupt practices. Some of these state enterprises are not making use of good governance but rather victimising some of their members of staff and ensuring that conditions are highly unfavourable for some of these people to have their peace and put in their best to ensure satisfactory productivity.
Many of such enterprises led by their management have linkages with corrupt officials in their procurement department, finance office, general administration and many other places to engage in what has become known as “create and share” among themselves. The overall result of this is poor performance and inability to generate more revenue to support central government revenue. What happens very often is that these corrupt officials team up to do little to improve the financial position of their own state enterprises, sometimes rendering it worse than what they came to find.
DISTRESSED ORGANISATIONS
There are a number of cases in this country where at the initial stages, the management at the time found it very difficult to make meaningful strides as a result of limited resources and other problems that they were facing. The genuine problems faced by these organisations did not help matters in the sense that the management of these organisations, tried as they did, could not make any headway even though they did their best and were committed towards progress and development. In spite of this, they were able to find other leaders appointed later to take over the management of their distressed entities.
The challenge was accepted by management in some of these organisations to overcome the hurdles and make things better. As a result of this, the distressed organisations concerned were able to recover from their problems and difficulties to make things far better than the situation they came to meet.
PROSPERITY
It is not easy to move from nowhere in terms of limited resources and push forward to a place where prosperity is made to become the order of the day. When things happen in this way, it brings remarkable improvement to all members of staff, helping them to be knitted together as one family striving for good life of prosperity.
Prosperous life does not come about easily, especially within organisations. Rather they are able to come about as a result of discipline, selflessness, dedication and alacrity, among others. Also, the rules of the organisation, the welfare packages and all others will have to be applied in a manner that will favour anyone who works for the organisation.
TRANSPARENCY
In organisations where things are made transparent, everyone feels good and work hard towards the general good of the entities. This is what all organisations, together with their staff and management ought to do if they are to achieve the ultimate. This is attainable so all public enterprises will have to put in their best for the attainment of this positive agenda.
State-owned enterprises or organisations in public sectors should never consider their activities unimportant or begin to do business as usual, that is not caring to bring in innovative ways that will bring about great increase in productivity compared with what they did in the past and disillusionment.
BOST POSITIVE TURNAROUND
It is in light of this that the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) ought to be highly commended for being able to make a positive turnaround and bringing about great improvement to the economy. This is what all state-owned enterprises or public organisations ought to do to ensure that the assets of such public entities are being held in a responsible way for the country. When things happen like this, it helps the whole economy to go forward.
All sectors of the economy must grow but this should not come from the private sector alone. The public sector must also do all it can to bring in such improvement.
DISCIPLINE
For the public sector to grow well, there must be discipline on the part of the governing board, management and also members of staff. All leaders must, therefore, provide good examples for the attainment of the best results.
We will continue to be proud of BOST for what they have been able to do.
IMPRESSIVE REVENUE
The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) has recorded a revenue of GH¢1.12 billion in 2021, almost twofold the GH¢632 million recorded in 2020.
Out of that amount, GH¢671.6 million came from product sales, GH¢380.4 million from the BOST margin, GH¢52.64 million from storage and rack, GH¢14.83 million from marine transportation, with GH¢2.07 million coming from products swap. The Managing Director of BOST, Edwin Provencal, who disclosed this at a press conference in Accra, attributed the company’s recent successes to some new policies introduced.
HONESTY & COMMITMENT
The trick about Mr. Provencal and his management is that they were disciplined and honest apart from their commitment to the work they are doing. If BOST has been able to do it, then all other public agencies can do same.
All sectors of the economy ought to be able to grow under the various leaderships there, as has been done by BOST, so that tremendous success can be attained for the country. When all sectors grow well, we will all end up contributing various sources of income to the national kitty and the result will be nothing but national growth for the entire country.
Email address/whatsApp number of author:
Pradmat201@gmail.com (0553318911)
By Dr. Kofi Amponsah-Bediako
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. 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.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is 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 Apostolic 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!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
