MTN Ghana is the largest contributor to the National Covid-19 Trust Fund after donating GH¢10 million towards the fight of the pandemic within two years.
This was after the telecommunications giant had donated GH¢5 million to the Trust Fund earlier this year.
Today’s donation is an addition to an earlier donation of GH¢5 million worth of PPEs, and testing kits to the Trust Fund, a total of 44,004 items comprising 10,000 pieces of N95 nose marks; 7,500 pieces of coveralls; 10,000 hand gloves; four sets of PCR machines; and 10,000 virus sampling kits.
Other items are-3,000 RNA extraction kits; 500 infrared thermometer guns; and 3,000 disposable bed sheets which were distributed to various hospitals, special isolation and care management centres, health centres, CHPS compounds and medical facilities across the country.
Speaking at the donation ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Selorm Adadevoh, stressed their commitment to support government in fighting the pandemic.
“As a business that is committed to the socio-economic development of Ghana, we are honoured to have been able to complement Government’s efforts in managing the pandemic through the donation of 5 million cedis worth of PPEs and testing equipment to the country,” he said.
The donation of the latest GH¢5 million, he believes will help immensely to “provide the needed PPEs for the people of Ghana and most importantly brighten lives as we celebrate our 25th anniversary.”
Having acknowledged that they have all collectively played their roles in this fight against COVID-19, MTN Ghana and its Foundation has approved the additional GHc5m to be presented to Trust Fund.
It is to ensure the Government’s strategy in combating the pandemic is fully achieved. This presentation brings MTN’s total contribution to the National COVID Trust Fund to GH¢10 million.
Embarked on a number of initiatives
“We embarked on a number of initiatives aimed at protecting our employees and the entire nation and keeping the working environment safe. We also introduced interventions which were aimed at protecting customers as well,” he said.
One of the key things which they needed to address was boosting their network to support work from home, online school, entertainment and other digital activities. Their aim then and now is to help ensure continuity of life, business and wellbeing, according to Mr Adadevoh.
He said they were proud to have also contributed to three educational campaigns aimed at getting people to live responsibly.
These Mr Adadevoh mentioned- “Be Wise”, “Wear it for me” and “One More Push” campaigns which were undertaken to encourage people across the continent to not give up in the fight against COVID-19, and to continue to wear their masks, wash their hands and practice social distancing.
On the vaccination front, MTN Group donated $25 million to support AU’s vaccination rollout across 55 member states to cover 7 million vaccine doses for health workers.
This contribution has come at the right time
Receiving the GH¢5 million donation, the Chairperson of the National Covid-19 Trust Fund, Her Ladyship Justice Sophia Akuffo (rtd) said the contribution by MTN is timely.
“This contribution has come at the right time especially when contributions to the Trust Fund have dwindled and almost halted due to the general perception that, the COVID-19 pandemic is either no more with us or is a pandemic for other to combat.
“But the facts are there for all of us to see the extent of havoc that the pandemic has caused and continue to cause to the people and economies of the global community, including our dear country Ghana”.
Her Ladyship Akuffo re-emphasised that they acknowledged the invaluable contributions from MTN Ghana towards the socio0economic development of the country.
She expressed her appreciation to MTN Ghana for this humane donation and called for more of such donations in the discharge of the Trust Fund’s statutory mandate of complementing the efforts of government to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her Ladyship Akuffo also used the occasion to appeal to other telecommunications companies as well as other private corporate organisations, well-meaning individuals and groups to emulate the example of MTN Ghana by making contributions both in cash and kind to support the Trust Fund.