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Alhaji Salamu Amadu, a global icon inspiring Ghanaian youth
Ambassador Amadu on a global platform
Starting business as a teenager is a Herculean task but it was an obstacle Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of Afro-Arab Group, Alhaji Salamu Amadu surmount to become one of the most successful business moguls on the continent and beyond.
The 36-year-old’s success story has not only become an inspiration for many Muslim youth within the Nima-Mamprobi areas but an icon revered across the globe.
With over two decades in business, Alhaji Amadu, leads the Afro- Arab Group conglomerate which has over 10 subsidiaries with interest in various sectors including import and export, real estate, travel and tourism, microfinance and sports.
Young Amadu ventured into business at a tender age of 10 with his older brother in what was known as the ‘black market’ business which was handed over to them by their father.
Later after Senior High School (SHS) at Abundant Grace Academy in 2004, he decided to start his own business which birthed the Afro-Arab Group in 2007 as an import and export company for general goods and services.
It was, however not without challenges as the young entrepreneur had to deal with many people who did not give him a chance to break through in the highly competitive market.
However, with determination and consistency, Alhaji Amadu managed to establish the business and currently is one of the most sought after business personalities in Ghana.
According to him, encouraging the youth and elderly in the community and the recognition of his contribution to changing lives makes him a satisfied businessman.
Most important to him was the recognition for his resilience after surviving the turbulence of the financial cleanup exercise in 2019 by President Akufo Addo and former President John Dramani Mahama.
“Coming from the Zongo community to build a brand that the most important people in the country would recognise is a success on its own and has been a major inspiration for me,” he stated.
His immeasurable impact on the lives of the over 100 people employed directly with some provided a landed property during the 10th Anniversary celebration of the company means so much to him.
Indirectly, Alhaji Salamu said, over 1,000 people have benefitted from the company as everything he makes goes back into supporting the community.
For him, his purpose in life is to serve Allah and humanity hence supporting people in education, health, business and other areas.
Going forward, he said, the future looks promising as they focus on building social businesses that will impact on community, not necessarily making money hence coming out with groundbreaking housing policy of allowing Ghanaians to own homes without interest, with a flexible payment plan spread over five years.
That would ensure that poor people secure homes and get value for people as ‘housing is a human right and everyone must have one.’
In view of that, Alhaji Amadu is working towards acquiring the Saglemi Housing Project from the government, refurbish same to make housing accessible to lower-tier Ghanaians.
“I do not think government must look outside Ghana for people to invest in Saglemi. I have the capacity and wish government would give me the opportunity,” he stated.
Alhaji Amadu’s hard work over the years earned him several awards, notable among them were the 40Under40 Africa 2024, the Real Estate Development and Construction Category, Microfinance of the Year, Sports Personality of the Year and Banking and Finance Company of the Year in 2019.
He also earned accolades including a Global Philanthropist, One Young World Ambassador and Peace Ambassador for African Youth.
Apart from working and impacting the lives of the needy in society, Alhaji loves to spend time with his extended and nuclear family, interact with old friends, play football and attend social activities.
By Michael D. Abayateye
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Traders, ‘Okada’ riders take over Circle pavement
• Korle-Bu CEO with staff of Nivaansh MediQas
Activities of traders and drug addicts are contributing to make the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) area very uncomfortable and unsafe for commuters.
Day in and out, pedestrians are ‘ejected’ from the pavement created for their safety as traders preferred to sell their wares on that space.
That hinders the free movement of the pedestrians.
The small space left for the pedestrians are also shared with ‘Okada’ riders.
As if these woes are not enough for a commuter on a single day, they also have to navigate carefully to avoid clashes with drug addicts and the mentally challenged.
These people have turned the pavements into their places of abode, covering every inch of space with their wares.
Our photographer, Lizzy Okai, captures some of the unfriendly scenes the authorities must try and deal with to restore sanity to the area.
By Lizzy Okai
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NDC outlines demands before committing to Peace Pact
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has set forth specific conditions that the party insists must be met before considering signing the Peace Pact advocated by the National Peace Council in anticipation of the December 7 elections.
Mr. Nketia expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of past Peace Pacts, highlighting that they had not achieved their intended outcomes, particularly referencing the 2020 elections, during which eight NDC members were allegedly killed by national security operatives without accountability.
During an August 20 meeting with the National Peace Council at the NDC headquarters, Mr. Nketia detailed the certain conditions for the NDC’s participation in the Peace Pact.
The NDC is demanding that the recommendations from the investigation into the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election be fully implemented.
They also want those responsible for election-related violence in the last election to be prosecuted, stressing the importance of justice and prevention.
The party is calling for accountability regarding irregularities in the printing of ballot papers and insists that visible measures be taken to prevent such issues from happening again.
They are also pushing for a thorough investigation into the missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s (EC) warehouse, expressing concerns about the integrity of the EC’s systems and the potential bias of its staff.
Furthermore, the NDC is urging the President to publicly commit to respecting the results of the 2024 elections. Lastly, the party insists that the Peace Pact should be signed by key figures, including the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the National Security Coordinator, before they will consider signing it themselves.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
