Day: March 11, 2024

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Fortrea Signs Definitive Agreement to Divest Endpoint Clinical and Patient Access Businesses to Arsenal Capital Partners

Proposed divestiture of Endpoint Clinical and Fortrea Patient Access businesses further streamlines Fortrea’s strategic focus as a pure-play contract research organization

Creates standalone best-in-class Randomization and Trial Supply Management and Patient Access solutions positioned for differentiation and growth

DURHAM, N.C., March 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) (the “Company”), a leading global contract research organization (CRO), today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to divest assets relating to its Enabling Services segment, namely its Endpoint Clinical (“Endpoint”) and Fortrea Patient Access businesses, to Arsenal Capital Partners (“Arsenal”), a leading private equity firm specializing in building market-leading, technology-rich healthcare companies.

By divesting these businesses, Fortrea aims to advance the growth strategy and solutions of Endpoint and Fortrea Patient Access, positioning them for increased investment to accelerate the technology roadmap and further enhance operations to support best-in-class customer solutions and delivery. The remaining business of Fortrea will strengthen its focus on clinical development phases 1 through 4. Closing is targeted for the second quarter of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, as well as the parties entering into certain services and operating agreements.

“Today marks a significant milestone in Fortrea’s ongoing journey, as we sharpen our focus on organically growing as a pure-play CRO, with added financial flexibility,” said Fortrea Chairman and CEO Tom Pike. “After undertaking a strategic review of our business, divesting Endpoint and Fortrea Patient Access aligns with the interests of our customers. Arsenal has extensive experience in building businesses that create systematic improvement in health outcomes, and I am confident that Endpoint and Fortrea Patient Access will be able to strengthen their market positions, nurture top-tier talent and invest in new capabilities and resources while delivering solutions that improve patients’ lives.”

“I am excited for this next chapter for Endpoint and Fortrea Patient Access,” said Sam Osman, president of Enabling Services at Fortrea, who will serve as the CEO of these businesses with Arsenal. “These businesses will be distinctively positioned to effectively manage the patient journey across clinical trials and into commercialization by driving patient access and adherence for approved therapies. Combining Arsenal’s deep investment acumen and leading industry operational expertise, I am confident the Endpoint and Fortrea Patient Access businesses are well positioned for growth and delivery of enhanced capabilities for patients and pharma sponsors. I look forward to our continued positive impact on healthcare.”

“Endpoint and Fortrea Patient Access have a proud, decades-long track record of market leadership in supporting clinical research and commercialization of innovative therapies. Arsenal takes pride in building organizations that meaningfully improve healthcare. We are excited to partner with management and employees to accelerate the growth of these two businesses,” said Gene Gorbach, an Investment Partner of Arsenal.

Dimitris Agrafiotis, Ph.D., Director of Digital, Analytics & AI at Arsenal said, “Endpoint and Fortrea Patient Access provide essential solutions that enable patients’ participation in clinical trials and access to therapies. I am delighted to support the talented team at Endpoint and Fortrea Patient Access. Together, we will further enhance the sophistication of technology capabilities that underpin these companies’ commitment to delivering the highest quality services to the pharmaceutical industry.”

Endpoint Clinical
Endpoint operates in the high growth eClinical market as a leading provider of Randomization and Trial Supply Management (RTSM) solutions to biopharmaceutical and CRO customers with expertise in serving complex and late-stage clinical trials. For more than 15 years, Endpoint has had a successful track record of effectively supporting more than 1,750 clinical trials involving 875,000 patients across 90 countries and has cultivated a blue-chip customer base and nurtured long-standing strategic relationships.

Fortrea Patient Access
Fortrea Patient Access is a scaled leader in the HUB services and patient access market, serving the biopharmaceutical industry with comprehensive patient support, product access, affordability and adherence solutions for more than 30 years. Further advanced by its recently expanded non-commercial specialty pharmacy, FortreaRx™, to support enhanced distribution of cold-chain and ambient free goods products, Fortrea Patient Access is committed to driving patient outcomes and improving healthcare accessibility through its extensive experience while currently supporting more than 2.5 million patients and over 100 unique brands across more than 25 disease indications.

Arsenal Capital Partners
Arsenal Capital Partners is a leading private equity investment firm that specializes in building market-leading industrial growth and healthcare companies. Since its inception in 2000, Arsenal has raised institutional equity investment funds totaling over $10 billion, completed more than 290 platform and add-on acquisitions, and achieved more than 35 realizations. The firm works with management teams to build strategically important companies with leading market positions, high growth, and high value-add.  For more information, visit www.arsenalcapital.com.

Advisors
Barclays is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Fortrea, and Smith Anderson is serving as its legal counsel. Sidley Austin LLP served as Arsenal’s legal counsel.

Earnings Call and Replay
Fortrea will discuss the divestiture announcement on its fourth quarter 2023 earnings conference call, which will be held today at 9:00 am ET. The conference can be accessed through the Fortrea Investor Relations website or the following earnings webcast link. To avoid potential delays, please join at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A replay of the live conference call will be available shortly after the conclusion of the event and accessible on the events and presentations section of the Fortrea website. A supplemental slide presentation will also be available on the Fortrea Investor Relations website prior to the start of the call.

About Fortrea
Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) is a leading global provider of clinical development and patient access solutions to the life sciences industry. We partner with emerging and large biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and diagnostic companies to drive healthcare innovation that accelerates life changing therapies to patients. Fortrea provides phase I-IV clinical trial management, clinical pharmacology, consulting services, differentiated technology-enabled trial solutions and post-approval services. Fortrea’s solutions leverage three decades of experience spanning more than 20 therapeutic areas, a passion for scientific rigor, exceptional insights and a strong investigator site network. Our talented and diverse team of about 18,000 people working in more than 90 countries is scaled to deliver focused and agile solutions to customers globally. Learn more about how Fortrea is becoming a transformative force from pipeline to patient at Fortrea.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) @Fortrea.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the anticipated benefits of the transaction, including future financial and operating performance, and the anticipated timing for completing the transaction. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as “guidance,” “expect,” “assume,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “forecast,” “believe,” “seek,” “see,” “will,” “would,” “target,” similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words that are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results could differ materially from these forward looking statements due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to: satisfaction of the conditions precedent to consummation of the proposed divestiture of Endpoint Clinical and Fortrea Patient Access businesses transaction, including the ability to secure regulatory approvals, and the Company’s ability to complete the transaction in a timely manner or at all; the possibility that the transaction may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; the parties’ ability to meet expectations regarding the accounting and tax treatments of the proposed transaction; and other factors described from time to time in documents that the Company files with the SEC. For a further discussion of the risks relating to the Company’s business, see the “Risk Factors” Section of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), as such factors may be amended or updated from time to time in the Company’s subsequent periodic and other filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included or incorporated by reference in this report and in the Company’s filings with the SEC. All forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this report and the Company does not undertake any obligation, other than as may be required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or developments.

Fortrea Contacts:
Hima Inguva (Investors) – 877-495-0816, hima.inguva@fortrea.com
Sue Zaranek (Media) – 919-943-5422, media@fortrea.com
Kate Dillon (Media) – 646-818-9115, kdillon@prosek.com

Arsenal Contact:
Jackie Schofield at  pro-Arsenal@prosek.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9061141

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Recursion Announces Plans to Open New Office in London

Appoints Michael Bronstein as Scientific Advisor and launches recruiting effort to fill the first 20 open roles across technology and biology, establishing a hub for world-class TechBio talent in the heart of King’s Cross neighborhood

LONDON, March 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recursion (Nasdaq: RXRX), a leading clinical stage TechBio company decoding biology to industrialize drug discovery, today announced plans to open a new office in London’s vibrant King’s Cross neighborhood. Set to formally open in June 2024, the site will provide Recursion and Valence Labs, the company’s artificial intelligence research engine, access to world-class talent across Europe’s rapidly growing TechBio sector and embed Recursion in a thriving innovation ecosystem of leading technology and life science companies.

“As Recursion continues to lead and define the TechBio industry, it’s critical we hire the best possible talent, much of which is located in Europe,” said Chris Gibson, Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO at Recursion. “London stood out as an ideal location given its brilliant and interdisciplinary talent across the fields of technology, biology and chemistry. It’s also the epicenter for the rapidly growing TechBio sector in Europe, where leading technology and life science companies like Google and Merck both sit within walking distance of our new Recursion site. I look forward to expanding our operations in Europe and hiring many new Recursionauts who will help us advance our mission of decoding biology to radically improve lives.”

To support Recursion’s leadership in TechBio and entry into London, the company is excited to announce the addition of Michael Bronstein, DeepMind Professor of Artificial Intelligence at Oxford University, as a Scientific Advisor. Professor Bronstein is a world leader in geometric deep learning, graph neural networks, and protein design. Professor Bronstein joins AI luminary Professor Yoshua Bengio in supporting Recursion and Valence Labs in the development of state-of-the-art AI models to support the industrialization of drug discovery.

“Recursion is leading the field in advancing cutting-edge AI research for real-world applications with the potential to radically improve lives, and I’m honoured to join them in their mission,” said Prof Michael Bronstein. “I have collaborated with Valence prior to their acquisition by Recursion, and I look forward to continuing to work with the team to advance this important work, especially as Recursion continues to grow in London.”

Recursion’s 6,700 square foot London office will be located at 3 Pancras Square, King’s Cross London. The building is part of a 67-acre redevelopment project in the heart of King’s Cross, with over 4.5 million square feet of office space. Located within a 3-minute walk from King’s Cross Station and St. Pancras International, the site offers excellent transit access. The building includes an onsite cafe, bicycle storage, showers, prayer room and mothers room. In line with Recursion’s commitment to sustainability, the building meets the requirements for an “Excellent” rating by BREEAM building standards and is linked to a site-wide district heating and cooling network that results in net-zero carbon emissions.

“The UK Government’s plan for attracting more inward investment into the UK is working. Recursion’s investment is yet another vote of confidence in the UK, our top talent and our amazing tech and life sciences industries,” said Investment Minister Lord Johnson. “I’m delighted Recursion has chosen London, and we’ll continue to do everything we can to ensure the UK remains the top choice for investments like this.”

Today, Recursion has over 500 employees with a near-equal mix of life scientists and technologists across sites in Salt Lake City, Toronto, Montréal, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Recursion’s new London office will serve as an extension of both Recursion and Valence Labs’ teams. To launch recruiting efforts for the new site, Recursion has opened multiple new roles across technology and biology functions with immediate plans to hire the first 20 people to be based out of the new London office. Recursion and Valence Labs will also host a TechBio Mixer tomorrow, March 12, at the location of its new site to celebrate the office and network with the TechBio community.

For more information on open positions and to apply, visit recursion.com/careers and valencelabs.com/careers.

About Recursion
Recursion is a clinical stage TechBio company leading the space by decoding biology to industrialize drug discovery. Enabling its mission is the Recursion OS, a platform built across diverse technologies that continuously expands one of the world’s largest proprietary biological, chemical and patient-centric datasets. Recursion leverages sophisticated machine-learning algorithms to distill from its dataset a collection of trillions of searchable relationships across biology and chemistry unconstrained by human bias. By commanding massive experimental scale — up to millions of wet lab experiments weekly — and massive computational scale — owning and operating one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, Recursion is uniting technology, biology, chemistry and patient-centric data to advance the future of medicine.

Recursion is headquartered in Salt Lake City, where it is a founding member of BioHive, the Utah life sciences industry collective. Recursion also has offices in Toronto, Montreal and the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn more at www.Recursion.com, or connect on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.

Media Contact
Media@Recursion.com

Investor Contact
Investor@Recursion.com

Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains information that includes or is based upon “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, those regarding the opening of the London office and timing of such opening; the recruitment efforts and number of roles at the London office; and all other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements may or may not include identifying words such as “plan,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “potential,” “could,” “continue,” and similar terms. These statements are subject to known or unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements, including but not limited to: challenges inherent in pharmaceutical research and development, including the timing and results of preclinical and clinical programs, where the risk of failure is high and failure can occur at any stage prior to or after regulatory approval due to lack of sufficient efficacy, safety considerations, or other factors; our ability to leverage and enhance our drug discovery platform; our ability to obtain financing for development activities and other corporate purposes; the success of our collaboration activities; our ability to obtain regulatory approval of, and ultimately commercialize, drug candidates; our ability to obtain, maintain, and enforce intellectual property protections; cyberattacks or other disruptions to our technology systems; our ability to attract, motivate, and retain key employees and manage our growth; inflation and other macroeconomic issues; and other risks and uncertainties such as those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2023. All forward-looking statements are based on management’s current estimates, projections, and assumptions, and Recursion undertakes no obligation to correct or update any such statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law.

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9060948

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Trader remanded over robbery after proposition


The Achimota Circuit Court has remanded into police custody Michael Gaza, a 23-year-old trader, who allegedly proposed to a lady and ended up robbing her of her mobile phone valued to GHC2000.

Gaza forced his victim to send him mobile money of GHC1,800 after pulling a knife at her.

However, luck eluded him when he robbed his second victim of her mobile phone valued GHC2,500and cash in the sum of GHC2,000.

Charged with two counts of robbery, Gaza pleaded not guilty.

Gaza is expected to reappear before the court presided over by Mr Isaac Addo on March 21, 2024.

The prosecution led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Stephen Ahiale said the complainants Princess Eze and Ashley Phil are Nigerian Student and fashion designer respectively.

Princess resides at Osu and Ashley at Accra.

ASP Ahiale said Gaza who claimed to be a trader was also a Nigerian and claimed to be residing at Pokuase in Accra.

The prosecution said on January 3, 2024, at about 11:30 pm, Princess was hanging out with some friends
at Osu during, which the accused person approached and engaged her in a conversation.

The prosecution told the court that during their conversation, the accused person proposed to Princess and requested her to join him at his hotel at Accra Mall area to keep him company.

It said Princess agreed and followed the accused person in a waiting taxi.

Gaza and his accomplice, the taxi driver, who is at large, took Princess through an untarred road at Tetteh Quarshie roundabout.

The Prosecutor said Gaza, who was seated at the back seat with the complainant, suddenly pulled a knife at the complainant and ordered her to surrender all her valuables to him.

The prosecution said Princess obliged and Gaza collected her Techno 8 Pro Mobile phone valued GHC2,000 and ordered her to unlock her mobile number pin and transfer cash in the sum of GHc1,800, after which he pushed her out of the car.

It said on 28 February 2024 at about 2:00am, Gaza used the same modus operandi by engaging the second complainant Ashley Phil at
Osu, lured her to the same spot at Tetteh Quarshie and robbed her of iPhone 8 Plus valued GHc2,500 and ordered her to transfer GHC200 to a number yet to be ascertained by the Police.

The prosecution said Gaza pushed the second complainant out of the car and the driver sped off.

On March 2, 2024, at about 2:00am, the second complainant spotted the accused person in the same taxi at Osu along Oxford Street and raised an alarm.

The prosecution said Gaza was arrested and handed over to the Police at Osu, but the driver managed to escape.

It said Princess, the first complainant on hearing the arrest of Gaza went and identified him at the Osu Police station as the one who robbed her on January 3, 2024.

The prosecution said the parties were referred to the Airport Police Station for further investigations.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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Trader remanded over robbery after proposition


The Achimota Circuit Court has remanded into police custody Michael Gaza, a 23-year-old trader, who allegedly proposed to a lady and ended up robbing her of her mobile phone valued to GHC2000.

Gaza forced his victim to send him mobile money of GHC1,800 after pulling a knife at her.

However, luck eluded him when he robbed his second victim of her mobile phone valued GHC2,500and cash in the sum of GHC2,000.

Charged with two counts of robbery, Gaza pleaded not guilty.

Gaza is expected to reappear before the court presided over by Mr Isaac Addo on March 21, 2024.

The prosecution led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Stephen Ahiale said the complainants Princess Eze and Ashley Phil are Nigerian Student and fashion designer respectively.

Princess resides at Osu and Ashley at Accra.

ASP Ahiale said Gaza who claimed to be a trader was also a Nigerian and claimed to be residing at Pokuase in Accra.

The prosecution said on January 3, 2024, at about 11:30 pm, Princess was hanging out with some friends
at Osu during, which the accused person approached and engaged her in a conversation.

The prosecution told the court that during their conversation, the accused person proposed to Princess and requested her to join him at his hotel at Accra Mall area to keep him company.

It said Princess agreed and followed the accused person in a waiting taxi.

Gaza and his accomplice, the taxi driver, who is at large, took Princess through an untarred road at Tetteh Quarshie roundabout.

The Prosecutor said Gaza, who was seated at the back seat with the complainant, suddenly pulled a knife at the complainant and ordered her to surrender all her valuables to him.

The prosecution said Princess obliged and Gaza collected her Techno 8 Pro Mobile phone valued GHC2,000 and ordered her to unlock her mobile number pin and transfer cash in the sum of GHc1,800, after which he pushed her out of the car.

It said on 28 February 2024 at about 2:00am, Gaza used the same modus operandi by engaging the second complainant Ashley Phil at
Osu, lured her to the same spot at Tetteh Quarshie and robbed her of iPhone 8 Plus valued GHc2,500 and ordered her to transfer GHC200 to a number yet to be ascertained by the Police.

The prosecution said Gaza pushed the second complainant out of the car and the driver sped off.

On March 2, 2024, at about 2:00am, the second complainant spotted the accused person in the same taxi at Osu along Oxford Street and raised an alarm.

The prosecution said Gaza was arrested and handed over to the Police at Osu, but the driver managed to escape.

It said Princess, the first complainant on hearing the arrest of Gaza went and identified him at the Osu Police station as the one who robbed her on January 3, 2024.

The prosecution said the parties were referred to the Airport Police Station for further investigations.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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GIMPA Professor calls for enforcement of environmental laws


Professor Charles Teye Amoatey, Director, Academy of Leadership and Executive Training at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has called for the enforcement of environmental laws across the continent.

He said the continent, in collaboration with the environmental protection authorities, had developed laws to preserve the planet, but enforcement had been a challenge.

The Professor said, ‘In the mining sector, we are destroying the environment with impunity, as if we are leaving the country without laws.

‘Sometimes some of these destructions of the environment are actually being influenced by some people or authorities who should know better.

‘We need to come to a point where we make the laws work with no respect for persons so that together we can preserve a future for the next generation,’ he said.

Prof Amoatey was speaking at a six-day training programme for a certificate course on the Essentials of Environment and Social Risk Management in Accra.

The programme is organ
ised by GIMPA in collaboration with the Regional Transport Research and Education Centre of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) with funding from the World Bank Group.

The training programme brought together 45 participants from the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, and local government and public service from the African continent, including Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Gambia.

The aim of the course is to contribute to the appropriate management of environmental and social risks that can result from the implementation of projects on the continent.

The objective is to increase the uptake of environmental and social standards by governments in Africa.

Several studies have been conducted on improving results in sub-Saharan Africa, showing that government projects in the region do not achieve satisfactory environmental, social, health, and safety ratings.

Also, lack of capacity among various government institutions to implement environmental and social risk management has be
en identified as a challenge.

In response to the challenges, the Professor said they felt the need to bring all implementers of the projects in the region, to train them so they would be conscious of the environmental and social impact of their activities.

‘We want governments to take ownership of environmental risk issues and not be compelled by the World Bank to do so. We need to take ownership of our project to lead to development. We do not have to wait for the World Bank to tell us what is right,’ he said.

He advised the participants to take the session seriously, have a change of attitude, and share the knowledge acquired with their project teams for better environmental outcomes.

Professor Helen Essandoh, Director, Regional Transport Research and Education Centre, KNUST, underscored the importance of managing environmental risks, adding that the course was critically designed for project development and implementation.

Ms Michille Keane, Operations Manager for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Wor
ld Bank Group, said people were at the core of all development, and the objective of development projects was to have a positive impact on people and on the environment.

‘The World Bank has made its mission to not only make positive contributions to poverty reduction in economic development but also support the protection of the environment and people’s safety,’ she said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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Bemanful Foundation supports Citi TV clinic building project at Mepe


Bemanful Foundation has supported the Citi TV clinic building project at Mepe with GHS 10,000 in aid of victims of the Akosombo dam spillage.

In a press statement, Dr Emmanuel Bempong-Manful, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bemanful Consults, said the initiative reflected their broader commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

‘It also reflects our mission to contribute positively to community development and building of sustainable futures beyond our core areas of expertise, ‘ he added.

Dr Bempong-Manful said the Foundation was committed to driving social change aimed at improving livelihoods and building sustainable futures.

He added, ‘At Bemanful we understand success evolves and appreciate the fact that every organisation, institution, or entity thrives in an environment be it physical or otherwise, it is, therefore, important that we give back to society as it supports us to grow as a business.’

The CEO said with a focus on sustainable development and as part of the Foundation’s CSR resp
onse to the devastating effects of the flooding triggered by the recent Akosombo dam spillage, Bemanful Consults stepped forward with a gesture of solidarity and support for the affected communities.

He emphasised the importance of community support during times of crisis, saying: ‘As a Company deeply committed to sustainable development and social responsibility, we understand the significance of standing in solidarity with communities during times of adversity.’

Madam Caroline Dodzi, the Human Resource Consultant of Bemanful Consults, said the support was a testament to the dedication to supporting the rebuilding of the communities affected by the aftermath of the Akosombo dam spillage.

Bemanful Consults is a leading firm specialising in growing businesses through Market Research, Business Management, tailored-made Skills Development and Training Programmes and IT Consulting solutions.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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Bemanful Foundation supports Citi TV clinic building project at Mepe


Bemanful Foundation has supported the Citi TV clinic building project at Mepe with GHS 10,000 in aid of victims of the Akosombo dam spillage.

In a press statement, Dr Emmanuel Bempong-Manful, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bemanful Consults, said the initiative reflected their broader commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

‘It also reflects our mission to contribute positively to community development and building of sustainable futures beyond our core areas of expertise, ‘ he added.

Dr Bempong-Manful said the Foundation was committed to driving social change aimed at improving livelihoods and building sustainable futures.

He added, ‘At Bemanful we understand success evolves and appreciate the fact that every organisation, institution, or entity thrives in an environment be it physical or otherwise, it is, therefore, important that we give back to society as it supports us to grow as a business.’

The CEO said with a focus on sustainable development and as part of the Foundation’s CSR resp
onse to the devastating effects of the flooding triggered by the recent Akosombo dam spillage, Bemanful Consults stepped forward with a gesture of solidarity and support for the affected communities.

He emphasised the importance of community support during times of crisis, saying: ‘As a Company deeply committed to sustainable development and social responsibility, we understand the significance of standing in solidarity with communities during times of adversity.’

Madam Caroline Dodzi, the Human Resource Consultant of Bemanful Consults, said the support was a testament to the dedication to supporting the rebuilding of the communities affected by the aftermath of the Akosombo dam spillage.

Bemanful Consults is a leading firm specialising in growing businesses through Market Research, Business Management, tailored-made Skills Development and Training Programmes and IT Consulting solutions.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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SPECIAL REPORT: CBC polarized after ‘controversial’ election of new health directorAbout 111,000 Citizens Displaced from Various Places Returned Home In Past Six MonthsChurches must perform motherly roles – Anglican Bishop

By Wilson Musa

Christians of the nation’s oldest church, the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) are still in disbelief following the controversial voting into office of a new Director of Health Services for the Church.

Mr. Ngum Samuel is the new Director of Health Services for the CBC. He was elected into office on March 6th following a vote by an extraordinary General Council of the Convention at the Baptist Center in Bamenda.

The Council comprised 58 members and was headed by a two-man team composed of the CBC Executive President, Rev. Dr. Nditemeh Charlemagne, and the CBC Chairman, Mr. Yosimbom Mkong John.

The meeting lasted over 5 hours with some members asking that the meeting be postponed to June although voting finally took place and Mr. Ngum 51 votes Mr. Njih 7 votes

The election comes months after an initial election held by the CBC Health Department was annulled in December 2023.

Where is the controversy?

Credible information reaching CNA has it that the CBC constitution is clear that the Gene
ral Council does not elect directors as this is done by the various Departments and the Council simply validates these results.

Unverified rumors also reaching CNA allege that the outgoing director, Prof. Tih was ‘tribalistic’ and wanted his own favorite candidate (a Mbum man to be clear) to be his successor. CNA investigations found this information wanting since Prof. Tih is not himself a Mbum man, but rather from Small Babanki and for him to qualify as tribalistic, he would need to have selected his fellow tribesman, which he clearly didn’t.

Prof. Tih’s leadership style has been to focus on excellence and quality, which is why his more than 20 years at the helm of the CBC Health Services saw it growing into one of the best healthcare organizations not just in Cameroon but Africa as a whole.

What happens now?

Mr. Ngum Samuel is the director-elect of health services and will officially take over office at a date to be announced. The 49-year-old is originally from Oku and the holder of a Master’s in Publi
c Health and is currently enrolled in a PhD program in Public Health and takes over office from Prof. Tih Pius who held the position for nearly 30 years.

Mr. Ngum who stood for election alongside Mr. Nji Richard (current administrator at Banso Baptist Hospital), has served the CBC Health Services in various capacities. He takes over as the second Cameroonian national to head the Health Services of the CBC after Prof. Tih Pius became the first Cameroonian to take over from American missionaries who had held monopoly of this position since the creation of the Health Department in the 1940s.

In his outgoing speech to fellow CBC health leaders in November 2023, Prof. Tih said about the likely candidate to succeed him:

‘God looks at the heart and will choose he who is willing not the perfect person. We are all weak vessels in His hand. The disciples knew that Jesus chose Peter as their leader. Jesus himself publicly declared his choice of Peter to the hearing of all the disciples. I may not do that, but I expec
t all of you to know who the Peter is and will give your full support to him or her when the time comes, and when the Board decides. I am not imposing on the Board’.

CNA will keep updating this story as we receive the information.

Post Script: Due to the sensitivity of this case, most CBC Christians were unwilling to be identified and spoke to CNA on condition of strict anonymity.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Ethiopia’s Minister of Peace, Binalf Andualem revealed that about 111,000 citizens displaced from various places returned to their homes during the past six months.

The minister made the remark in his briefing regarding the six month performance of his ministry today.

On the occasion, he said it takes the cooperation and coordination of numerous bodies to achieve peace.

Ensuring peace is a continuous process, he stated emphasizing the necessity of making consistent efforts to achieve peace in a sustainable manner.

In this regard, the minister remarked that a number of measures have been taken over the past six months to ensure sustainable peace citing the public discussions that attracted more than 9 million citizens in various parts of the country.

Efforts have also been carried out with a view to strengthen the federal system by enhancing relations between regional states of the country, the minister indicated.

According to the minister, successful activities have been undertaken in conflict preventio
n and respond.

Regarding the rehabilitation efforts, about 111,000 citizens displaced from various places in Ethiopia returned to their homes during the past six months, Binalf revealed.

Of them, 70 percent had been uprooted by violence, with the remaining having been affected by natural calamities.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Right Reverend Dennis Debukari Tong, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Tamale, is urging the Church to play motherly roles and take responsibility of loving, caring and protecting its members.

He explained that Christians, whether male or female, must have the characteristics of a mother, who provides tender loving care to her underage children.

‘We have to remind ourselves that we are called to have the characteristics of a mother, whether male or female,’ Rt Rev Tong said.

He was delivering a sermon during Church Service in Tamale on the theme: ‘The Church as a Mother.’

The theme was in line with an occasion dubbed: ‘Mothering Sunday’ by the Anglican Communion, which is a day dedicated to honouring mothers.

Rt. Rev. Tong admonished Christians to make the Church a haven for members, adding a characteristic as that made the church what God intended it to be.

Rt. Rev. Tong said Christians must make the church synonymous to the mother figure to make it a place where people could find solace and friendship
.

He called on Christians to unite to build the church, strengthen its love and care for humans as God did for the church.

He advised against accusing mothers of witchcraft and encouraged adult children to visit and appreciate them.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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Foreign Minister embarks on official visit to Eswatini


Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has participated in the annual Buganu festival in Eswatini, as part of her official visit to the Southern African kingdom.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, copied to the Ghana News Agency said the festival commemorates the harvest season of the Marula fruit, a staple from which a popular brew was made, and the ‘Amarula’ bottled alcoholic beverage is distilled from.

It said the event was one of the biggest traditional celebrations on the continent and is overseen by King Mswati III, and features over 30,000 female dancers with representation from Southern and West Africa.

The statement said that as a special guest, Madam Botchwey was adorned in the unique and beautiful traditional Swazi attire for the festival.

It said during the visit, the Minister held bilateral meetings with His Majesty Mswati III, King of Eswatini, as well as Madam Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu, the Foreig
n Minister of Eswatini.

It said the issues discussed at the meetings included mutual bilateral and multilateral interests and how to strengthen cooperation at both levels.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Posted on

Foreign Minister embarks on official visit to Eswatini


Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has participated in the annual Buganu festival in Eswatini, as part of her official visit to the Southern African kingdom.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, copied to the Ghana News Agency said the festival commemorates the harvest season of the Marula fruit, a staple from which a popular brew was made, and the ‘Amarula’ bottled alcoholic beverage is distilled from.

It said the event was one of the biggest traditional celebrations on the continent and is overseen by King Mswati III, and features over 30,000 female dancers with representation from Southern and West Africa.

The statement said that as a special guest, Madam Botchwey was adorned in the unique and beautiful traditional Swazi attire for the festival.

It said during the visit, the Minister held bilateral meetings with His Majesty Mswati III, King of Eswatini, as well as Madam Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu, the Foreig
n Minister of Eswatini.

It said the issues discussed at the meetings included mutual bilateral and multilateral interests and how to strengthen cooperation at both levels.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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Rotary Club commences $100,000 projects for schools in Bole


The Rotary Club of Wa, at the weekend, cut the sod for the commencement of a $100,000 worth project at Bole Senior High School (BOSEC) and Kurabaso D/A Primary School in Bole in the Savannah Region.

The project, when completed, would benefit over 1,700 direct and indirect beneficiaries in the two schools comprising 406 school children at Kurabaso Primary School and 1,305 students of BOSEC as well as the staff of the two schools.

It encompasses a 32-seater bio-digester toilet facility and 30-stall bathroom for the girls at BOSEC, rewiring of two classroom blocks, mechanisation of existing boreholes, and replacement of four leaking water tanks and holding structures all at BOSEC.

At Kurabaso Primary School, the project would renovate the primary one to primary three classroom block, provide furniture for the renovated classrooms, and construct a four-seater KVIP toilet, two urinals, and a staff common room.

The project, an initiative of Rotarian Alfreda Eghan Afisah Yahaya, a member of the Rotary Club of Sa
n Jose in California, USA, was funded by the Rotary Foundation through her Club, and implemented by the Rotary Club of Wa.

Narrating the circumstance that birthed the project, Madam Yahaya indicated that a visit to BOSEC about three years ago revealed the poor condition the school girls found themselves amidst open defecation due to poor access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities.

She said about 650 girls at the school depended on an indecent 12-seater toilet and took their bath in an ‘old fashion bricks open stall with no indoor plumbing’ coupled with poor water supply due to leaking water tanks, which touched her heart.

Madam Yahaya explained that at the Kurabaso Primary School, one of the oldest basic schools in Bole, she realised that one of the three classroom blocks, was in a bad state that it was referred to as ‘a death trap.’

She said as a result, the children were jammed in the two blocks, which impeded effective teaching and learning.

‘Instead of 35 children in a classroom, ther
e were about 75 to 80, and when I went, there were some of them hanging outside the classroom.

There were a couple of girls writing on the ground with pieces of paper, let’s just say there wasn’t a lot of learning going on there,’ she explained.

Madam Yahaya, also a native of Bole, added that there was also no WASH facility for the students and teachers separate from that of the community.

She said that informed the need for the intervention of the Rotary Club to salvage the situation, saying, ‘Solving real problems takes commitment and vision.’

Mr Stephen Mwinkaara, the immediate past president (IPP), spoke on behalf of the club president, Rotarian Alhassan Inusah Agambire, who could not attend the sod-cutting ceremony.

He expressed optimism that the project would yield the expected impact and legacy to the community.

He said the Club was not to compete with any government or non-governmental agency but to complement the existing efforts towards community and national development.

‘This project and an
y other project we will be executing in the future will go a long way to supplement and support government efforts in promoting development in our communities,’ he explained.

Mr Mwinkaara said the Rotary Foundation operates in seven focus areas – water and sanitation, disease prevention and treatment, maternal and child health; peace and conflict resolution; economic and women empowerment; basic education, and the environment.

Mankumawura Dramani Natomah, who represented the Paramount Chief of Bole Traditional Area, thanked Rotarian Yahaya and her Club for the intervention.

He assured the people of their support of the project since it would contribute to the development of the traditional area.

Mr Jonathan Kwofie, the Service Project Director of the Rotary Club of Wa, appealed to the school authorities and stakeholders in Bole to provide the needed cooperation and support for the successful completion of the project.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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Hassan Ayariga endorsed as APC flagbearer for 2024 elections


Dr Hassan Ayariga, Founder of the All People’s Party (APC), has been endorsed as the party’s presidential candidate for the December 2024 general elections.

Mr Ayariga, who was the sole candidate, was confirmed at the party’s national conference, which was held in Kumasi, and attended by delegates from all the 275 constituencies in the country.

The conference also saw the election of new executives for the party and the adoption of reforms for the party.

Speaking after his confirmation, Mr Ayariga stressed the need for change in the country’s leadership.

He said Ghana was now in an economic mess and there was a need for change.

Mr Ayariga said he was the better hope for Ghanaians.

‘Ghana is lost and I, Hassan Ayariga feel your pain and frustration.

I guarantee hope, decisive leadership, an excellent team, and incorruptible leadership.

I believe in you and trust that you will follow me to unearth the potential of every Ghanaian.

The APC and Hassan Ayariga are the third force you have been yearning for
.

Change is key to new life, let make that change come December 07, 2024.

The third force can only happen if you come out of your comfort zone and change your voting patterns.

It would not happen by making wishes without action,’ he told the delegates.

Mr Ayariga praised the delegates for their unwavering efforts in positioning the party firmly on the ground and ensuring peaceful conduct in the elections of the flagbearer and the party executives.

He pledged to work together with all the rank and files of the party to help garner support and win the 2024 elections.

‘Coming from a humble beginning, I understand well the immense responsibilities that go with the intimidating groups of highly intelligent, selfless, hardworking, and visionary party members.

I will not let you down in the administration and governance of the party and, in our national life,’ he stated.

Source: Ghana News Agency