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MTN, Samsung, present 500 phones to support contact tracing activities

MTN Ghana has partnered Samsung Ghana to present 500 pieces of ‘Samsung Galaxy A2 Core’ smartphones to support government and the Ghana Health Service as they lead the fight against COVID -19 through enhanced contact tracing.

The phones come with 500 MTN SIM cards and a total of 3,000GB data. Each of the phones will be loaded with 500MB data every month for a period of six months.

The presentation was jointly made by the representatives of Samsung Electronics West Africa and MTN Ghana.

The Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah (MP) and the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mrs Mamle Andrews received the items at the premises of the Ministry of Information after a brief ceremony was organised to hand over the devices.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Managing Director of Samsung Electronics West Africa, Ghana, Eugene Nahm said, “As COVID-19 continues to make its way across the country, our thoughts are with the people of Ghana. We are, therefore, happy to provide these resources to support government and health officials in the fight against this global pandemic. We believe that all companies should unite to work together with the country’s leaders and cooperate now more than ever.”

In her address, the Senior Manager – Consumer Marketing at MTN, Nana Asantewaa Amegashie said, “The partnership with Samsung has presented another opportunity to MTN to commit more resources to the fight against COVID-19.

“This presentation of the data package and the SIM cards is an addition to free online access to over 200 educational websites to support online studies. It adds to MTN Foundation’s commitment to provide GH¢5 million worth of medical supplies to support government’s efforts in fighting the disease.”

The Minister of Information expressed his appreciation to Samsung and MTN Ghana for their noble gesture to help fight against COVID-19.

Again, the presentation to the Ministry of Information follows a presentation made to the Noguchi Memorial Institute a few weeks ago to support the Institute to meet the growing demand in records taking, storage and management of essential COVID- 19 data.

The presentation to Noguchi comprised one Dell Server, five HP laptops and accessories, five headsets, a black and white printer, a colour printer and two all-in- one Lenovo desktop computer.

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Ex-GIIF CEO and Prof. Ameyaw-Ekumfi charged over $2m Sky Train fiasco

The Attorney General’s Office has formally charged former Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) CEO Solomon Asamoah and ex-board chairman Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi for their roles in the controversial Accra Sky Train project, which allegedly cost the state $2 million without authorisation.

The charges, filed today at the High Court (Criminal Division), include wilfully causing financial loss to the state under the Criminal Offences Act, conspiracy to commit crime through intentional dissipation of public funds, and intentional dissipation of public funds under the Public Property Protection Decree.

Prosecutors allege that in February 2019, the accused authorised a $2 million payment from GIIF to Africa Investor Holdings Limited for preliminary work on the Sky Train project – a system that was never built. The payment was reportedly made without proper board approval.

The Sky Train project, initiated in 2018 as a public-private partnership for an urban rail system in Accra, involved a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Railways Development, Africa Investor Holdings, and GIIF. However, investigations revealed the $2 million disbursement lacked proper due diligence and violated GIIF’s governance protocols.

Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine stated the accused acted outside their mandate, causing significant financial harm to the state. “The payment was unauthorised, and the project never materialised. This is a clear case of financial misconduct,” the filing stated.

The case will proceed in the High Court, with the AG’s office indicating some GIIF board members have agreed to testify as prosecution witnesses.

This prosecution forms part of the government’s broader crackdown on financial malfeasance, following earlier warnings of pending charges in the Sky Train and NSS ghost names scandals.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

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Interdict Sammy Gyamfi immediately to allow for investigations – NPP urges Mahama

The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, has called on President John Mahama to immediately interdict Mr Sammy Gyamfi from his role as acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), to allow for investigations into his conduct following his public gifting of dollars to a self-lifestyle preacher.

The incident in question occurred on Saturday, May 10, 2025, when Mr Gyamfi was seen in widely circulated videos gifting bundles of US dollars to controversial evangelist Nana Agradaa while seated in his Range Rover.

Speaking at a news conference held by the party on Tuesday, May 13, Mr Boakye emphasised the need for consistency in leadership and accountability, pointing to recent controversies involving senior public officials.

“We also call on the President to immediately interdict Mr Sammy Gyamfi as acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board — or at least, he should interdict him pending the conduct of the investigation by the criminal investigation authorities of the state,” Boakye said.

Drawing a sharp comparison with a previous incident involving former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah, Boakye noted that Madam Dapaah was compelled to resign after reports emerged of large sums of money allegedly stolen from her residence, despite her long-standing public service and reputable family background.

“We cannot but remember when huge sums of money were reported to have been stolen from the residence of Madam Cecilia Dapaah, a woman who had worked in high places for over forty years before the incident — an MP since 2001, a deputy minister and a minister — married to a well-known, wealthy architect and consultant with nearly sixty years’ experience,” he remarked.

Boakye highlighted that under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Madam Dapaah stepped aside promptly, enabling thorough investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

“Investigations were duly conducted by the OSP against Madam Cecilia Dapaah and her husband after what the OSP described as seven months of extensive investigation and four months of collaborative inquiry,” he added.

The NPP is now demanding similar action from President Mahama in the interest of transparency, good governance, and public trust.

Source: Myjoyonline.com