The Melcom Group of Companies, has held a memorial service in Accra at its Melcom Plus Shop Kaneshie, for victims of the November 7, 2012 Achimota Shop disaster.
Mr Bhagwan Khubchandani, Melcom Group Chairman in a speech read on his behalf by Mr Godwin Avenorgbo, Melcom Group Communications Director said “two years ago this day, November 7, tragedy befell our family and shook the foundation of our business enterprise when the building that housed our Achimota Shop rented to Melcom by Nana Nkansah Boadu Ayeboafo of Kinsadus Company Limited Achimota collapsed all of a sudden.
The Chairman said the Second Melcom Memorial Day was a painful experience to recall during which they lost 13 well-trained and dedicated staff of their Achimota Branch, with 33 others sustaining various degrees of injuries.
“While some of the injured staff were so traumatized that they moved on, either to further their education and seek other vocations, the majority have remained with Melcom Limited and are gainfully pursuing their vocations with other branches of Melcom Ltd.
“To the dead: We honour your memory and we thank God for giving you a place of rest where you will no longer know pain. To the living, we thank you for your confidence in Melcom Ltd and your continuing service; even as we thank God for saving your precious lives,” he stated.
“We-affirm our commitment to sponsoring at least one child of each of our lost heroes up to the highest level of education they can attain.
“We also commit ourselves to continuing to offer scholarships to children of our serving staff who so qualify under the competitive Melcom Education Scholarship Scheme, from primary to tertiary level.”
Mr Khubchandani recounted that in 2013, the company awarded 10 scholarships to staff children at the start of the exercise, stating that “today I am happy to announce that approval has been given for additional 10 educational scholarships for children of Malcom staff nationwide”.
He said the 2014 approvals cover staff from Accra Central, Warehouse, Head Office, Bolgatanga, Melcom Plus Kaneshie, Koforidua and Kumasi One branches.
The Chairman explained that this brings the total number of scholarships to children of serving Melcom staff within one year of the institution of the scheme to 20; covering beneficiaries in basic, senior high schools and universities.
“We assure our cherished customers that structural integrity tests by accredited structural engineers have been conducted on all rented buildings housing Melcom shops and our own buildings to assure the safety of our customers and staff nationwide.
“We have completed the payment of compensation as determined by the medical authorities and labour office under the workmen’s compensation act to all staff who were in one way or the other affected by the accident of November 7, 2012,” the Chairman said.
To the good people of Achimota and surrounding areas, the Chairman gave the assurance that Melcom would leave no stone unturned to re-establish an Achimota Branch of Melcom as soon as they succeed in their search for land or building that could house a new Achimota Branch shop.
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