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New Times Corporation observes solemn moment for demise of News Editor
The Acting Editor of the Spectator Mrs Georgina Quaittoo delivering her address
Staff of the New Times Corpo¬ration (NTC) have observed a one-week ceremony in memory of Castro Zagina-Tong, the former News Editor and Acting Sub-Editor of The Spectator newspaper.
![Mr Francis Xah Former News Editor of The Spectator [left]chatting with Mr Mahama Boagra-Zangina family members and Mrs Quaittoo Acting Editor of the Spectator](https://thespectatoronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Mr-Francis-Xah-Former-News-Editor-of-The-Spectator-leftchatting-with-Mr-Mahama-Boagra-Zangina-family-members-and-Mrs-Quaittoo-Acting-Editor-of-the-Spectator-scaled.jpg)
Mr Zangina-Tong died suddenly on August 1, 2023 at his residence. Also present at the event was some fami¬ly members of the deceased.
The ceremony served as a moment of reflection for the NTC commu¬nity, honouring Mr. Zangina-Tong’s contributions and encouraging unity and personal growth among its members.
“The news of our brother’s pass¬ing hit us hard. A day prior to his demise, he was present at work and was part of a departmental staff meeting to discuss the production of the paper. We had no inkling that he would not be at work the next day,” She revealed.
However, citing Proverbs 19:2 during the solemn event, Mrs Quait¬too,encouraged the staff and family of the deceased to humbly accept God’s will for their lives as “we cannot question God about His will.”
In her opening remarks, Mrs Georgina Naa-Maku Quaittoo, Acting Editor of The Spectator paid respect to the deceased and recounted fond memories of their interactions with him.
She lauded his dedication to the corporation but said the shock of the sad news was profound, as they had not foreseen such an occur¬rence.
Delivering a message on unity and hope, a lay preacher of the Meth¬odist Church of Ghana (MCG), Mrs. Agatha Osei drew parallels from the story of Lazarus in the Bible urged the staff to lead lives worthy of em¬ulation and to seek solace in God.
Mrs Osei also urged the staff to concentrate on their current pur¬suits, recognising uncertainty of the future.“What legacy will you leave be¬hind? What words will people speak of you in your passing? These ques¬tions underscore the importance of leading lives others can aspire to. The assurance of an afterlife hinges on one’s faith in Jesus,” she said.
Sharing memories of Mr. Zangi¬na-Tong, a member of the Profes¬sional and Managerial Staff Union (PMSU), Mr. Andrew Parker urged the staff to recognise the inevitability of death and acknowledge the fleeting nature of life.
The Acting Managing Director (Ag MD) and Editor of the Ghanaian Times (GT), Mr. Dave Agbenu, re¬vealed his personal relationship with the deceased and highlighting his friend’s compassionate nature.
Mr Agbenu mentioned the impor¬tance of regular health check-ups and fostering a sense of camarade¬rie among colleagues.
Brother of the deceased, Mahama, Boagra-Zangina, expressed gratitude to the NTC staff for their support in honouring their brother and urged them to uphold peace and harmony at all times.
By George Obeng Osei
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
