It was like the constellation stars and other celestial bodies had descended on Accra as Ecobank, Jandell Limited, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and other partners came together to formally ‘Light Up the City’.
The yuletide-themed street lighting initiative, which is in its second year, forms part of the wider Accra Inner-City Beautification Project and is aimed at adding a festive cheer to the holiday season, promote domestic and international tourism whilst highlighting key landmarks within the city.
During the ceremony held at the African Union (AU) Square, Managing Director of Ecobank, Daniel Sackey stated that the bank was especially buoyed by the response from the maiden edition last year and was encouraged to do more to uplift spirits in what has been a rather trying year.
“Seeing the joy on the faces of people from the communities where we draw our clientele as a result of the project, was the greatest and has encouraged us to do more… This year we all have a lot to be thankful for, despite the ravaging effects of COVID-19, we have survived,” he said.
Mr. Sackey revealed that the project has been replicated in other parts of the country, namely Kumasi and Takoradi to great effect, and expressed hope that the initiative will extend to all major cities within the country in the near future.
He also urged other private sector players, especially financial service providers, to join the initiative to make it bigger and better.
CEO of Jandel Limited, Afi Amoro indicated that this year’s set up features a careful balance of traditional Ghanaian articles and classic Christmas pieces.
On his part, the Mayor of Accra, Mohammed Adjei stated that the move is a part of measures to redefine what city management entails.
‘We want to change the minds of people that we are offering services to elevate the lives of persons living within our city,” he stated.
He also called for responsible celebrations during the festive period.
Institutions which made the event possible include Mullen Lowe, BTL Africa, Stanbic Bank and Access Bank.
Others include Universal Merchant Bank, Fidelity Bank, FBN Bank, Absa Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Republic Bank, Ghana Exim Bank and Cal Bank.
The rest are Duraplast, Nivea, Bridge waves, Ash foam, Melcom and Akosombo Textile Limited.
