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Discipline, perseverance get results …Princess Korkor Boateng, Chartered Accountant at 18 says
Princess Korkor Boateng
Princess Korkor Boateng is being celebrated for emerging the “youngest person ever,” at age 18, to qualify as a Chartered Accountant in Ghana.
The level 400 student who is studying Business Administration at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) has been congratulated on the University’s official Twitter handle and continues to receive goodwill messages across social media platforms.
In a recent interaction with The Spectator, the young achiever spoke about the role of her family, the rudiments of the test, and the hurdles she overcame in attaining this feat.
According to Princess, the motivation came from her mother, Ms Mary Sarbah who recommended that she apply for the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICA) course early enough to avoid the strain of combining work and studies in future.
She started the course in 2019 after gaining admission into the University and completed her last set of papers in April 2023. As young as she is,, she feels “comfortable” rubbing shoulders with colleagues of different age groups.
She said although some people did pass inauspicious comments, she was still focused on attaining her goal.
“Every accountant’s dream is to take the course a step further even to the highest level. Either way I knew I would do it, therefore, we thought it wise to start early and save ourselves the stress.
“I am happy I was able to finish the test and my mother who is an accountant, is proud to see her daughter step in her shoes. It is encouraging to see that my success has made people take steps forward to achieve their goals,” she said.
Apart from obtaining secondary and tertiary education, the road to becoming a Chartered Accountant comes in three levels.
“There is no fixed timeline to write any papers. You can choose to take the four papers one at a time or write them at a go. In Level 1, we write four papers, six papers in Level 2 and four papers in Level 3.
“Depending on a candidate’s schedule and the pace in passing the papers, one could finish within two years or take 10 years to write,” she explained.
“After first degree, especially as a Business student, one might have previously done certain courses in the university and this would not require them to repeat some ICA courses,” she added.
Princess said she was first unwilling to sit for the test because she had wanted to “enjoy a bit of life in the university” but the courage she eventually mustered has paid off.
“I thought there was ample time in the university especially when you do not have any leadership responsibility. But once I took the decision to start, I have been able to get the results,” she said, acknowledging the immense contribution of her family and colleagues on the rugged journey to success.
“I know it is unwise to inform everybody about your plans, however, there were some people who I confided in because I knew along the way I would need help. Some of them were already within the working environment and their practical explanations helped me a lot,” she said.
Time management, discipline and perseverance have been some of the key elements of Princess’ academic progress. She said in spite of her tight schedules, she was able to combine UGBS and ICA courses effectively.
Princess attended Akosombo International School, a Ghanaian co-educational international second-cycle institution in the Eastern Region. She hopes to delve into the world of technology after completing her first degree.
She is a budding photographer and enjoys listening to poetry performances. Her mother and other female chartered accountants are her role models.
While urging the youth to pursue their dream in the face of challenges, she asked women to rise up to the task and match their male counter-parts in every field of study or at the workplace.”
By Yunusah Essandoh
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NHIA set to boost its cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in partnership with a leading private cybersecurity solutions provider in Ghana, CyberHawk Limited, is advancing the Authority’s digital infrastructure to ensure seamless operations.
This is to safeguard the Authority’s digital technologies and maintain the trust of active members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
In this context, the NHIA Management Information System (MIS) Directorate in the Head Office, on February 11, 2024, launched a three-day brainstorming session on the organization’s cybersecurity enhancement agenda.
The MIS Directorate Ag. Director, Mr. Daniel Blankson explained that the collaborative meeting aimed to scrutinize the NHIA’s Information Technology architecture, identifying potential risks and gapsto enhance its cybersecurity posture.
“By leveraging CyberHawk Limited’s expertise, the NHIA seeks to fortify its defenses against cyber threats, protecting sensitive information and maintaining the trust of its members.”
Mr. Blankson applauded the synergy between the two organizations and underscored the Authority’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to drive its mission forward.
The Head of Information Security and Standards Unit, in the MIS Directorate, Mr. Ebenezer Hooper, highlighted the Authority’s significant milestone on the digital transformation journey.
According to him, the NHIA is actively engaged in fully adopting and implementing modern digital systems to improve its operations.
He said, “The three-day brainstorming meeting will culminate in the development of a robust IT infrastructure, as well as strategic plans to translate security implementations into tangible IT cost savings for the organization.”
“There is the need to form a steering committee or IT advisory committee, operated under the Board, so that they can pay more attention in protecting the huge IT investment while ensuring cyber security-related policies are well protected,” he added.
The Project Manager of CyberHawk Limited, Mr. Chetan Narayana Murthy, lauded the collaboration and anticipated that it would empower the NHIA to implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures.
According to him, “This is a huge project that will greatly benefit the NHIA by implementing robust cybersecurity measures, safeguarding their systems, and ultimately protecting the sensitive information of NHIA members and healthcare providers.”
A Senior Manager of IT infrastructure, Mr. David Asare Addo, and his colleague, a Senior Manager of Applications, Mr. Enock Afanyi, with the MIS Directorate, gave an overview of the NHIA’s current technological landscape.
Present at the meeting were representatives from the Claims, Membership and Regional Operations (MRO), Research, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RPME), Corporate Affairs, the Audit, Administration, and Human Resource Directorates.
Story By : Vivian Arthur
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
