Focus on needy, vulnerable in society – Akufo-Addo to coronavirus Trust Fund Board

President Nana Akufo-Addo has charged nominees of the Board of Trustees (BOT) for the proposed national Covid-19 Response Trust Fund to do everything within their mandate to complement the government's efforts aimed at supporting the vulnerable and needy in the Ghanaian society as the country battles to stop the spread of the novel Coronavirus in the nation.

In an interaction with the nominees of the Board of Trustees for the Covid-19 Response Public Trust Fund he proposed in his address to the nation on the 27th of March 2020, President Akufo-Addo indicated that he decided to meet with them ahead of the completion of the legal formalities for the establishment of the fund by the Attorney General to draw their attention to the fact that the fund is to compliment the work of government to deal with the impact of Covid-19 on the disadvantaged in the country.

"You have been put together for this exercise essentially to complement the efforts the government and the state is making over this crisis especially with a particular focus on the considerations that have to be made for the needy and the vulnerable. Whatever monies we raise, that is the target," President Akufo-Addo said.

Government Support

The President assured the nominees that they will have the full support of the entire government machinery in the course of executing this mandate given to them.

"The machinery of government will be aligned to be able to support you for the work that you will be doing," President Akufo-Addo noted.

Trust Accounts

The President urged the Bank of Ghana (BOG) to support the Board of Trustees to open Bank Accounts in selected banks through which potential contributors, both home and aboard, can use to deposit their donations to guarantee proper accountability of all funds realised.

Chairperson of the Board

Chairperson nominated for the proposed Covid-19 Trust Fund, Chief Justice Rtd. Justice Sophia Akuffo, in a brief response noted that they accept the challenge thrown to them by the President and they will work very hard to mitigate the likely effect on the target group for the setting up of the fund.

"We undertake to bear the charge you have placed on us with full integrity and efficiency so as to make sure that all our outcomes are transparent, they are quality and they fulfil the purpose for which the Trust is being set up," Justice Rtd. Akuffo said.

Members of the Board

The eight-member Board will be chaired by former Chief Justice Rtd. Sophia A. B. Akuffo. The other members of the board are Archbishop Justice Akrofi, former Anglican Bishop of Accra and former Archbishop of the Church of the Province of West Africa; Mr. Jude Kofi Bucknor, Mrs. Gifty Afenyi Dadzie, Else Addo Awadzi; Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Ofori Sarpong; Chief Executive Officer of the Special Ice Group of Companies, Dr. Abdul-Sameed Tanko, and Dr. Collins Asare, who will also serve as the Secretary to the Board.