Connect with us

News

 Banking sector requires strong leadership, discipline —Fidelity Bank MD

Published

on

• Mr Opuni (middle) with the journalists

 Ghana’s banking sector requires strong leadership and discipline to build re­silience, absorb risks, and ensure long-term stability, the Managing

Director of Fidelity Bank Gha­na, Mr Julian Kingsley Opuni, has stated.

He emphasised that a robust banking and financial sector was crucial to restoring confidence among Ghanaians and strength­ening Ghana’s reputation within the global financial community.

Mr Opuni made these remarks at a press soiree organised by Fidelity Bank in Takoradi, on Friday, to enhance the bank’s relationship with the media in the Western and Central regions, on the theme “Partners for progress: Building a sustainable future together”.

“We recognise the media as a critical partner in ensuring stabil­ity in the banking and financial sector. That’s why we have initiat­ed this engagement, which will be extended across the country,” he explained.

Mr Opuni stressed that a disci­plined and stable banking sector was key to attracting more in­vestments, particularly in Ghana’s efforts to secure offshore funds for economic growth.

He also highlighted the im­portance of improving domestic savings to

strengthen liquidity and sta­bilise the banking sector, saying “fostering a strong savings culture among Ghanaians is essential for creating wealth and alleviating poverty.”

“Any small amount is a good start. Savings give individuals op­timism about the future. Having a clear goal for saving helps one stay on track despite other finan­cial temptations,” the Fidelity MD noted.

However, Mr Opuni observed that many Ghanaians preferred keeping their money at home rather than saving with financial institutions, and that, “This prac­tice makes it easy for individuals to spend money impulsively instead of growing their savings.”

To address this challenge, he suggested that financial insti­tutions intensified educational efforts to shift public perceptions and promote the benefits of savings.

Fidelity Bank’s Corporate So­cial Responsibility (CSR) initia­tives, he said, focused on youth employment, health, education, and agriculture.

The MD emphasised that Fidelity Bank, a wholly Ghana­ian-owned commercial bank, which gained universal banking status in 2006, was current­ly among the top 10 banks in Ghana.

“We provide investment bank­ing advisory services, portfolio management, and a wide range of financial products. Our vision is to become a world-class financial institution that delivers superior returns to all stakeholders. In the coming years, we aim to be among the top three banks in Ghana,” Mr Opuni said.

He stressed Fidelity Bank’s deep commitment to Ghana, stating that the bank prioritised initiatives that aligned with the country’s development and pros­perity, adding “What matters to Ghana matters to us. Our mission is Ghana.”

He highlighted that Fidelity Bank was the first in Ghana to in­troduce agency banking, a model authorised by the Bank of Ghana to ensure banking was more accessible by allowing people to open accounts within minutes.

Mr Opuni told journalists that in 2014, the bank started with just 24 agents, but today, it had expanded to over 8,000 agents across all 16 regions.

“We aspire to have the largest banking network in Ghana, and we are proud of what we have accomplished so far. However, achieving excellence requires a strong partnership with the me­dia,” he remarked.

 BY CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

 Heritage Month Ghana trends

Published

on

Since the institution of the Heri­tage Month celebration in Ghana, it has offered citizens opportuni­ties of a lifetime to learn about their cultures and lifestyles.

Ghana’s version is observed in the month of March, coinciding with the country’s Independence Day celebra­tions on March 6.

Heritage Month features festivals, food fairs, arts, crafts, and music events to highlight the economic and social value of preserving national heritage.

Though a brainchild of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), the celebra­tion has been driven to greater heights by local media with the organisation of several events to create the needed euphoria.

Among the events are the Heritage Caravan and Back To Your Village Food Bazaar pow­ered by Accra-based Citi FM and Citi TV, Wear Ghana Festival and the Gɔbɛ festival powered by 3News.

The Heritage Caravan is a road trip which takes patrons across more than half of Ghana’s regions to offer a distinctive road trip that allows participants to explore the various re­gions of Ghana, providing an up-close encounter with the country’s histori­cal and cultural heritage.

In addition to these roles played by the media, news anchors and other presenters appear on screens immac­ulately garbed in locally made outfits, bringing out the beauty of our tradi­tions.

Today, The Spectator news­paper selected a few of the media personalities that are working to give the cel­ebration a global dimension to project the country.  

 By Andrew Nortey

Continue Reading

News

 MoMo vendor 24 murdered at Kwadaso

Published

on

• Mobile money shop
• Mobile money shop

 A disturbing crime has shaken the Kwadaso Onion market communi­ty in Kumasi, leaving family and friends grieving the loss of a young life.

Identified only as Junior, a 24-year-old mobile money vendor, was found murdered in his room on Saturday, March 8, 2025.

According to eyewitnesses, Junior had returned home the previous day with a substantial amount of money, over Gh¢20,000.

It was suspected that the killers might have been motivated by the large sum of money in Junior’s posses­sion.

A police source that confirmed this to The Spectator, said investigation has been launched into Junior’s mur­der, but so far, no arrests have been made.

The Kwadaso community is reeling in shock, calling for justice and an end to the atrocity that has claimed the life of a young and promising individ­ual.

Junior, is believed to be a native of Ejisu Onwe, and was known to his col­leagues and friends as a hardworking and diligent individual who worked at the Kumasi Race Course.

His tragic death serves as a stark reminder of the risks and challenges mobile money vendors faced.

The incident comes barely a month after Patricia Nimako, a 27-year-old Mobile Money (MoMo) vendor, was shot and killed at Krofrom, Kumasi in the Ashanti region by an unknown assail­ants.

The suspected armed robbers fled with the deceased cell phones and an amount of GH¢10,000 on Thursday, February 13, at approximately 3:00 p.m.

The two armed robbers reportedly stormed the kiosk where the deceased was operating and without any provo­cation shot her dead.

There has not been any arrest yet by the police.

 From Kingsley E. Hope , Kumasi

Continue Reading

News

 Learn how to prepare local dishes…Queen mothers urge young women

Published

on

• Some local dishes

 In a heartwarming display of inter­generational wisdom, queen moth­ers from local communities in the Obuasi enclave shared their expertise on how to prepare local diets with young ladies on the International Women’s Day event, courtesy of An­gloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine.

Beyond the fanfare, these revered women leaders took centre stage to impart a vital life skill: traditional cooking as they guided eager students and other young ladies through the art of preparing local delicacies.

In fact, the aroma of ‘Abunabunu’, ‘Aprapransa’, ‘Enuhu’, ‘Akaw’, ‘Tuo Zafi’ (TZ), among others, wafted through the air to the extent it could attract people from a distance, as the queen mothers entertained the young women with tales of resilience, entrepreneurship, and community building.

This year’s International Wom­en’s Day Celebration was under the theme: ‘Accelerate Action for Wom­en’s Equity.’

As the event drew to a close, the queen mothers gave words of wisdom upon their young guests.

From Nana Amoanima Dede, Queen mother of Adansi she stated that: “Never forget your roots, and always remember that the kitchen is not just a place for cooking, but for building connections and forging communi­ties.”

Nana Akua Dwum II, Queen moth­er of Edubiase, on her part urged the young ladies to learn how to prepare traditional dishes in order to preserve cultural heritage of the nation.

Earlier, the Managing Director of the mining company, Samuel Boakye Pobee, mentioned their readiness to roll out an “All-Women Apprentice­ship Programme, aimed at empow­ering young women in the Obuasi communities in entrepreneurship.”

He said the project would include women in basic technical skills and their capacity building to boost their employability to reshape perceptions of women’s roles in traditionally male-dominated industries.

According to the Managing Director, the mining company’s commitment “is to empower young people with specialised skills, and progressive knowledge to make them financially independent.”

The company, he indicated, was accelerating action towards wom­en’s equality at the Obuasi Mine and within host communities with the aim to build a foundation to create an inclusive and supportive business culture.

Mr Pobee expressed the need for innovative approaches and dedicated efforts to encourage and invest in women’s participation in all fields, including all levels of technical and operational areas and must be inten­tional and deliberate.”

 From Kingsley E. Hope, Obuasi

Continue Reading

Trending