Sasso boss awarded for contribution to devt of region
The Executive Chairman of Samara Group of Companies, Dr Sampson Effah Apraku, has been awarded the Brong Ahafo Region Business Icon at the Ghana Business Quality Award 2017 held in Accra.
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His company is the producer of Sasso Insecticide Spray and mosquito coil; and he was one of the 10 outstanding business icons who were awarded for their exceptional contribution towards developing their regions and Ghana as a whole.
Dr Apraku’s award is the second to be won from the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana (EFG) after winning the General Merchant Entrepreneurs award last year during the Ghana Entrepreneurs Awards 2016.
While the 2016 award sought to acknowledge the Sasso boss for demonstrating entrepreneurial achievement, vision, innovation and growth in the export and import industry, this year’s award seeks to recognise his quality business skills, as well as his passion to help develop the Brong Ahafo Region.
The award
The awardees, according to the organisers, Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana (EFG), were recognised for their quality business and leadership skills, as well as their passion to develop their respective regions.
Commenting on the award, Dr Apraku said: “I’m glad that my presence is being felt not only at the regional level but also on the national scene. It is an honour to be recognised this way and this is surely going to increase my passion to continue assisting in developing my region and Ghana in every possible way.”
Dr Effah Apraku’s contemporaries at the awards ceremony were Dr Papa Kwesi Ndoum, the President and Chairman of Groupe Ndoum, who was adjudged the Central Region Business icon; Dr Kwabena Adjei of Kasapreko Company Limited was for the Western Region and Dr Kwabena Duffour, Founder and President of HODA Holdings as the Ashanti Region Business Icon.
The others were Dr Nii Kotei Dzani, the President of Groupe Ideal, Greater Accra; Nana Dr Michael Agyekum Addo, Mikaddo Holdings Limited for Eastern Region; Mr Eric Seddy Kutortse, Chairman of First Sky Group of Companies for Volta Region; Alhaji Yusif Ibrahim of Dara Salam Group of Companies, the Northern Region; Prof. Edmund N. Delle, Founder and CEO of Rabito Clinic Limited for Upper West, and Dr Francis Adam Asaana for the Upper East Region.
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National agenda
Dr Apraku established Samara Pharmacy in 1984 in his hometown, Aworowa in Techiman. After 10 years of its existence, the pharmacy morphed into Samara Company Limited, which trades in wholesale of pharmaceutical products. The pharmacy still remains and operates till date.
In 2006, Dr Apraku realised that malaria was causing more deaths; thus, decided to take immediate action. He, therefore, conducted researches and came up with an insecticide brand, Sasso, which kills mosquitoes without any side effect on consumers.
Around that same time, many insecticide products had flooded the market but with health implications, including catarrh, breathing problems and asthma on consumers. His vision towards a national agenda was to curb malaria while leaving users with no side effects when using the Sasso products.
His company currently employs about 200 workers.
Assisting Brong Ahafo
Dr Apraku has over the years paid his dues to his hometown as a diligent son from that land and has, consequently, rose to national prominence in the area of job creation.
As part of his quest to support his hometown and help develop the region at large, Dr Apraku rolled out initiatives in education, health, culture and sports.
Between 2014 and 2016, his company carried out a nationwide book distribution exercise in which over 300,000 copies of branded exercise books and pens were given to schoolchildren in all the 10 regions to support their basic education.
His company also supported the Techiman Football Club with branded jerseys and other necessities and money to keep the team running.
In addition, a good number of his employees are from the Brong Ahafo Region.