President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has highly commended the First Sky Group, a diverse wholly-owned Ghanaian holding company, for its “greater achievements” and partnership with the government in the area of healthcare.
According to him, First Sky Group, which has subsidiaries with interest in hospitality, construction, insurance, banking, commodities trading and bitumen processing, is among several Ghanaian companies “doing well”.
“I wish to commend the First Sky Group of Companies for the successes chalked over the 19 years,” the President stated in an address delivered on his behalf by the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah during the 19th anniversary thanksgiving service of the company in Accra.
He continued, “I am reliably informed that among greater achievements is that the First Sky Group partnered the Government in the area of healthcare. The company has provided support to patients with kidney diseases at the Urinal Dialysis Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital with GH¢20 million in the past two years.”
“The company has also helped in the first-ever kidney transplant operation done in this country. It is my prayer and hope that the same grace that has brought us this far will continue to be sustained and go up to higher levels in their duty to God and country,” the President again disclosed.
President Akufo-Addo said it is on record also that the First Sky Group was one of the first companies to publicly support the National Cathedral, which is being built to “show our appreciation for God for His mercies and love in diverse ways.”
“We join the First Sky Group to do introspection as a people so as to appreciate more of the love of God. God has prospered this nation in so many ways, individually and severally, even in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic.
“God has been good to us and we know He will continue to be good to us. As a result of the COVID-19 and its impact on the global economy, with Ghana not being an exception, we all appreciate what has happened in this our dear country,” he asserted.
The President said the economies of nations had been shaken and battered but “despite all the challenges we face as a nation, my government is committed to build a strong and healthy economy that will withstand the global economic catastrophes to come.”
“It is our resolve to continue to create a sustainable enabling environment for the private sector like First Sky Group of Companies and others to thrive in the economic development of our country.
“I am committed to ensuring that the policies and programmes my government brings up are well thought-through and sustainable for our national development,” he noted.
The Executive Chairman for First Sky Group, Dr. Eric Seddy Kutortse, who acknowledged the grace of God in the company’s achievements, announced the birth of another subsidiary called First Sky Energies.
He used the opportunity to appeal to the government to consider making at least two sessions of dialysis a part of the medical services covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme.
“This is achievable because partial coverage of dialysis treatment cost is being practiced in other countries, including Kenya and South Africa. It is my hope that you will consider this suggestion as it will improve the quality of life of these patients, majority of whom are young, who belong to the economically productive group of the Ghanaian society,” he stated.
He disclosed that despite the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, no employees of the First Sky Group were laid off, intimating that the company’s staff strength kept increasing with the number standing at 5,000 employees.
The ceremony, which was held at the International Conference Centre, was attended by Vice President of Liberia, Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor; General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso; Past Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah; General Overseer of Action Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams; Railways Minister, Peter Amewu; and Supreme Court Judge, Justice Jones Dotse.
By Ernest Kofi Adu & Linda Tenyah-Ayettey