News
Melcom marks 10 years of saving lives through blood donation
THE Melcom Group of Companies, through its philanthropic arm, the Melcom Care Foundation, has announced the commencement of its annual nationwide blood donation exercise, aimed at supporting the National Blood Service to meet the country’s critical blood supply needs.
To be held from Wednesday, July 23 to Saturday, July 26, 2025, the donation exercise will take place at 30 selected Melcom outlets across the country, in addition to four malls, Melcom Spintex Mall, Accra Mall, Achimota Mall and West Hills Mall and four senior high schools, which include Accra Academy, Ashaiman Senior High School, both in the Greater Accra Region, Apam Senior High School and Gomoa Senior High Technical School, Dawurampong, both in the Central Region.
The shops and schools will serve as collection centres where trained medical personnel will screen and assist volunteer donors, with the schools kicking off from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
Briefing the press in Accra yesterday, the Managing Director of the Melcom Group, Dr Ramesh Sadhwani, reiterated the Group’s commitment to supporting national health initiatives through sustained corporate social investment.
He noted that the Group’s annual blood donation drive, now in its 10th year, has mobilised more than 8,500 units of blood, helping save thousands of lives.
The Deputy Chief for Blood Donor Recruitment at the National Blood Service, Ms Sophia Blankson, commended Melcom for its unwavering commitment to voluntary blood donation.
“This campaign is not just about collecting blood; it is about celebrating humanity. Melcom has exemplified what it means to give back to society; their partnership has helped save lives in every corner of Ghana,” she said.
National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Executive Committee member and Volta River Authority (VRA) Board Member, Wonder Victor Kutor, has described calls for the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as premature and unjustified.
He argued that there was no evidence to establish that the minister had committed any wrongdoing to warrant such demands.
Speaking on Joy News in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Mr Kutor questioned what had changed to justify the growing calls for the minister to step down.
He recalled that the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had earlier indicated that the opposition was not accusing Mr Ablakwa of any wrongdoing.
Mr Kutor, therefore, challenged those demanding the minister’s resignation to provide fresh evidence to support their position.
“The call for the Minister to resign is premature, it is untenable. There is no evidence. I mean, what has he done wrong?” he questioned.
He added that documents, including boarding passes, airline receipts and flight manifests relating to the minister’s return journey, had been provided.
Mr Kutor expressed concern that the calls for Mr Ablakwa’s resignation could discourage young politicians from speaking out against corruption and advocating transparency.
According to him, politicians should not be targeted or maligned for demanding accountability, warning that such treatment could create the impression that speaking against corruption could later become a liability when one is appointed to public office.
He maintained that calling for accountability and transparency should not be used as grounds to target public officials without evidence of wrongdoing.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana will host the Africa Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTAC) 2026 alongside Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) 2026 in Accra from December 9 to 12, 2026.
On the back of these programmes, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on corporate Ghana, the media and the general public to support the initiative through partnerships, sponsorships and active participation.
The events, supported by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), will bring together stakeholders to celebrate Africa’s rich cultural heritage, strengthen the creative economy, promote industrial skills development and create employment opportunities for young people.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
