Prince Kofi Amoabeng, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UT Bank and President of UT Group, says Ghana’s economy is performing badly.
Mr Amoabeng, who was the guest speaker at a public lecture organised by the Institute of Public Relations (IPR) on Tuesday in Accra, stated that it was imperative for Public Relations (PR) practitioners to inform the people about the real situation and challenges facing Ghana and its various organizations.
The lecture, which was on the theme: ‘Strategic Public Relations in a Challenging Economy: An Essential Tool for Nation Building,’ brought together key stakeholders to promote strategic public relations for nation building.
Mr. Amoabeng, who described the economy as ‘shallow,’ said “The economy and people are not better off today as the juicy parts of the businesses created in this country – mining, tourism, petroleum and banking – have all gone to foreigners.”
“There are six telecommunications companies in Ghana. Not one is Ghanaian. The biggest problems in Ghana are that institutions are going on their knees, workers are on strike, interest rates are high and the Cedi has lost its hold,” he further noted.
Ghanaians are not enjoying the dividends of democracy and these are very challenging times, he stressed.
“I am not holding any government responsible as it has been the trend of every government.
This situation should prompt us to think over the type of democracy that we are practising. Is our democracy guaranteeing us the kind of growth and development we want?”
To help improve the situation, public relations practitioners were advised to be disciplined, focused and manage time well.
Prince Kofi encouraged practitioners to structure the messages given to Ghanaians, foreigners and investors to keep Ghana in the forefront.
Noting that values cannot be taught, he said nation-building is the duty of everyone and practitioners should adopt a position of credibility, discipline, passion for people and service.
Albert Don-Chebe, IPR Ghana President, said the theme of the lecture was selected because of its importance at this stage of Ghana’s development, adding that Prince Kofi was chosen to give the lecture because he is one of the finest minds in Ghana with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors.
Prince Kofi was made an honorary membership of the institute.
IPR, which is the sole professional body for Public Relations practitioners in Ghana, was established in 1972 as the Public Relations Association of Ghana (PRAG). The name was changed to Institute of Public Relations (IPR) Ghana in 1991.
The public lecture, held at the British Council, was part of IPR Ghana’s 2013 Week.
