Mr Ato Afful (standing), addressing the Asantehene, during the courtesy call. Seated from right are Mr Frederick Akuamoah, Zonal Manager for Ashanti, Bono and the three Northern regions, and Director of Marketing, Mr Franklin Sowa

Asantehene lauds Graphic’s role in nation building - Urges company to explore other business opportunities

Daniel Kenu Apr - 05 - 2019 , 06:10

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), publishers of the Daily Graphic and five other brands, to maintain its unbiased role in nation-building and deepening Ghana's democracy.

He said in particular that the Daily Graphic’s role of promoting balanced reportage and giving stakeholders, including political players, equal opportunities to express themselves, needed to be applauded.

The Asantehene was speaking at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi yesterday when the Managing Director of the GCGL, Mr Ato Afful, called on him to officially introduce himself to him and seek his blessings to accomplish the task assigned to him as managing director.

Delegation

Mr Afful was accompanied by the Director of Marketing, Mr Franklin Sowa; a Senior Procurement Officer, Mr Francis Crabbe, and the Zonal Manager for the Ashanti, Bono and the five regions of the north, Mr Frederick Akuamoah, all of the GCGL.

The Graphic team was also at Manhyia to congratulate the Asantehene on the 20th anniversary of his enstoolment.

Explore other areas

While congratulating the GCGL for maintaining its brands over the years, Otumfuo Osei Tutu advised the company to explore other business opportunities to support the newspapers to be able to remain afloat in "these difficult times in the industry."

He said it was an undeniable fact that the introduction of newspaper review on radio and television stations across the country had affected the sale of all newspapers and it was time innovative ideas were employed for the company and its brands to remain relevant.

The Asantehene congratulated Mr Afful on his appointment and urged him to use his rich experience in advertising, marketing and the media in general to add value to the GCGL and turn things around.

He said Mr Afful, gifted for his foresight and team building, should leverage on those attributes to give a new direction to the newspaper industry in Ghana.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu took recognition of the huge image of the Graphic brand and expressed confidence in Mr Afful’s ability to add his name to the transformational leaders who had managed the company.

The Asantehene also applauded the Kumasi Office of the GCGL for its undiluted reportage over the years and called for greater collaboration between the office and the Manhyia Palace.

Response

Responding, Mr Afful said he was happy to join a hardworking team and innovative managers to build on the brand.

He assured Otumfuo of designing a strategic document that would explore other areas to generate more revenue for the company to make it sustainable for future generations.