Eric Seddy Kutortse presenting the cheque to the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare
GHANAIAN BUSINESS conglomerate, First Sky Group, has committed an amount of GH¢1 million in support of the fight against road accidents in Ghana.
The Group made the donation to the National Road Safety Commission on Sunday at the Accra International Conference Centre where it held its 16th Annual Thanksgiving Service under the theme:”For thou oh Lord, Our shield and glory” (Psalm 3:3).
The amount is for the purchase of one ambulance, two vehicles and other road safety gadgets to aid the fight against road carnages in 2019, the Executive Chairman of the First Sky Group, Eric Seddy Kutortse, said as he presented a dummy cheque of GH¢1 million to the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, who represented President Akufo-Addo at the colourful ceremony.
It comes in the wake of recent waves of road accidents across
the country that had led to several untimely deaths.
The First Sky Group is also supporting renal patients undergoing dialysis treatment
at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Mr. Kutortse observed the critical need to
support the fight against road accidents in a bid to save lives and resources.
Chief Executive of the National Road Safety Commission, Ign. May Obiri-Yeboah, thanked the First Sky Group for the donation, saying “we must continue to make road safety a shared responsibility.”
She lamented that vehicular accidents are claiming several lives in the country, with about 2,000 people estimated to lose their lives annually as a result.
Reports
In 2017, according to reports from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service, a total of 2,076 people died in road accidents; eight people less than the 2,084 people killed in 2016.
Of the number, 514 were reported to be females comprising 379 who were above 18 years and 135 below 18 years, killed in 2017.
During
the same year,
1,562 males, made up of 1,369 persons above 18
years and 193 people below 18 years, were reported dead from road accidents.
The situation in 2018 was no different from what happened in the previous years and the donation by the First Sky Group is a demonstration that a strong partnership between the private and public sector is equally required to help stem the tide.
Other Supports
Earlier, the Executive Chairman indicated that the Group was not a profit-driven establishment contrary to the perception that private business men and women are only profit-driven.
He said “our main objective in all of our endeavours is to work for God’s kingdom, bring relief to humanity, create jobs for our countrymen and women and support the government’s programmes and policies.”
According to him, “this is evident in the pursuit of our corporate objectives, practices and social responsibilities.”
He noted that the Group continued to support several churches in their quest to spread the word of God throughout Ghana, adding it also continues to support the treatment of patients with kidney failure at the renal dialysis unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
Clean Record
In line with its strong adherence to the teachings and principles of God, he said the Group has operated over the last 16 years without any acts of corruption.
According to him, “I say this with reverence to our God Almighty that First Sky Group since its inception to date (16 years) has never been involved in any scandalous or corrupt practices that seek to shortchange this nation.”
Mr. Kutortse’s incorruptible claim which he made publicly really marveled ex-President Jerry John Rawlings who said that if every Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in the country could come out publicly “clean” on corruption, Ghana would be a nice place to live in.
The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, was equally impressed to note that First Sky Group, with all the corrupt practices that go on in Ghana, remains ‘incorruptible’ and was doing its business on not-for-profit motives but with reverence to the Lord.
Gratitude
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo through his Chief of Staff, Frema Osei-Opare, thanked the First Sky Group for supporting his vision of establishing a National Cathedral with an amount of GH¢ 2 million.
The President indicated that First Sky Group has been a good example of a wholly-owned Ghanaian company, adding that with companies such as First Sky, his vision of a Ghana Beyond Aid could be achieved.
Attendance
In attendance at the ceremony officiated by the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong Manso, were the Ministers of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, Roads and Highways, Kofi Dzamesi and Kwasi Amoako-Atta respectively.
First Sky Group has subsidiaries including First Sky Construction (Road and Building Works), First Sky Commodities, Volta Serene Hotel, Serene Insurance Limited and First Sky Bitumen Processing Limited.
BY Melvin Tarlue