Accra, Ghana, 14 July 2021 – On Tuesday 13 July 2021, Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra launched its 10-year anniversary celebration to highlight a decade of service excellence with guests, team members and partners under the theme, ‘Doing the ordinary in extraordinary ways – 10 years and beyond’. The 5-star hotel located in the central business district, is one of the most established hotel properties in Ghana, with 260 rooms, ultra-modern meetings and events facilities, restaurants and lush gardens. In 2011, the once vibrant Ambassador Hotel, presented as a gift to the government of Ghana after its independence in 1957, was reopened under the global Swiss brand as the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra. Several paintings, crafts and artefacts from the Ambassador Hotel were lovingly restored and remain on display at the hotel. Over the past 10 years, the upscale hotel has hosted several high-level events providing guests with memorable experiences and maintaining their health and safety as the top priority. Speaking at the launch, Mrs. Deborah Lee-Ann Sivertsen, recently appointed as the General Manager of the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra said, “our history is deeply woven in the fabric of Ghana’s Independence and our heritage continues to link our past, present and future”. “Ghana is famed for its genuine and warm hospitality. Being my first time in Ghana, I’ve witnessed and experienced the undeniable authenticity through the personalities of our team, our heartists. These values are what define the Mövenpick brand; demonstrating quality, reliability, care for guests, partners and fellow heartists, and doing it all with a personal touch. We are proud to have achieved sustained excellence over the last 10 years, serving as market leaders”, she said. The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal in attendance, commended the management and team of the hotel on their achievements and wished, “may the next 10 years and beyond brings more creativity, excellent service, profitability and care for everyone within this company”. He then urged the hotel to pay attention to customer care saying, “what differentiates your hotel from others is how you treat your guests. Customer care, training and building the capacity of team members should be paramount over the next ten years and beyond”. He then appealed to the management to place “team members welfare above everything else” as that would translate into service excellence. With the support of the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, his Deputy, Hon. Mark Okraku-Mantey and key partners including Mr. Joseph Hammond, a war hero and former team member of the historic Ambassador Hotel, the General Manager unveiled the anniversary logo which with be used in communications during the five-month long celebration. Activities will include a blood donation exercise in conjunction with the Accra Technical University and charity initiatives in aid of Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital and the Shelter for Abused children. In September, guests will be invited to donate kilos of non-perishable foods, clothing and education supplies during the ‘Kilo of Kindness’ campaign, a global initiative of the multi-national brand to support the underprivileged. Guests will also have the opportunity to win several prizes, enjoy offers and have dreams come true. The anniversary weekend, in November, will then be climaxed with a corporate soirée after commemorating the anniversary date with a food festival, celebrating over 70 years of culinary innovation of the Mövenpick brand. For further information, please contact: Theodora M. Yebuah Asst. Marketing Manager Write an Email About Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts makes moments by doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way. Providing an upscale, relaxed and uncomplicated guest experience, Mövenpick recognises that small gestures make a big difference. Whether it is chocolate hour every afternoon, customised sleep technology to ensure a restful night or specially created fun and healthy kids’ menus, Mövenpick creates a human and warm environment for guests, business partners and employees. Committed to sustainable practices and caring for its local communities, Mövenpick is the most Green Globe certified hotel brand in the world. Founded in Switzerland in 1973, but with a heritage of food and beverage excellence stretching back to the 1940s, Mövenpick holds a growing portfolio of more than 80 hotels in 24 countries. Mövenpick is part of AccorHotels, a world-leading travel and lifestyle group which invites travellers to feel welcome at more than 4,500 hotels, resorts and residences, along with some 10,000 of the finest private homes around the globe.
The Minerals Commission of Ghana has accused the new owners of the Prestea-Bogoso Mine Limited (PBL) in the Western Region, Future Global Resources Limited (FGR), of lacking the financial capacity to invest in and turn around the fortunes of the mine. The mining sector regulator said the company had failed to invest “a penny” in the century-old underground mine since the acquisition in July last year, although it promised to raise and invest about $28 million in the mine. In a notice to FGR, a copy of which has been obtained by the Daily Graphic, the commission said the company had 120 days, starting from June 18, to remedy all its regulatory breaches or risk losing its licence. The commission said in the notice, signed by its acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr Martin Kwaku Ayisi, that FGR admitted, prior to the approval of the acquisition, that the investment was crucial to reinvigorate the mine to help raise production from 40,000 ounces of gold in 2020 to around 100,000 ounces by December this year. It, however, said it was now clear that: "Blue International Holdings Limited (Blue) and FGR has no financial capacity to invest in the mine and also made statements or provided information regarding the financial capacity or resources available to FGR to invest in the Bogoso/Prestea Mines to the Minerals Commission, which the company knew or ought to have known to be materially false at the time Blue applied to become the controller of FGR. In other words, FGR did not have the financial capacity to operate the Bogoso-Prestea mine,” the notice said. The notice was signed by the Minerals Commission CEO on behalf of the Minister of Lands and Natural resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, Final warning The commission said the notice was also the final warning to FGR to post the environmental bond as well as pay its mineral rights fee to be able to receive a permit. It noted that the company had breached stated regulations by failing to pay the mandatory annual fee and posting the environmental bond, in spite of being granted a request for extension. “You are required to remedy the breaches within 120 days from the date of this notice. Please take note that failure to remedy the breaches within the time specified in this notice will result in the termination of your mining leases,” the commission said. FGR response Meanwhile, when contacted, FGR said it had begun the process to acquire the permit and post the environmental bond this week. On the investment, the company said in the emailed responses that: “$12million had either come directly from Blue or guaranteed by Blue. “ “FGR is currently updating its life of mine plan based on recently updated reserve and resource data and this will generate a capital investment programme that will be fully supported by Blue,” it added. According to the company, the Minerals Commission notice was issued by mistake and had since been withdrawn World-class asset The Minerals Commission notice was issued to FGR on June 18, this year. FGR, a subsidiary of Blue, currently operates with a temporary operating permit, which was extended by 90 days, starting from April 1, this year, according to the notice. The company purchased Golden Star Resources’ 90 per cent stake in BPL last year for $95 million as part of a strategy by the government and the two mining firms to revamp the mine and stimulate economic activities in the host community. The government owns the remaining 10 per cent. Blue described the mine as “a world-class operational gold mine” on its website, adding that the acquisition made the group the holder of the largest gold concession in the country. Impact A successful revival of the mine is critical to the residents and livelihoods in Prestea-Bogoso and its environs and the economic prospects of the area in general. For a start, it will reignite hopes of a revitalised Prestea-Bogoso that can, for once, bask in the glory of a mining town. Source: GRAPHIC ONLINE