The long awaited inauguration of Eastern Regional branch of Treasury Ladies Association (TRELAS) took place on 6th November, 2015 at the Nurses and Midwifery Hostel in Koforidua, where the newly elected Executive officers were sworn in.
Prior to the day of inauguration, the participants went on a float through some principal streets of Koforidua in the morning of Thursday. Later, they converged at the Nurses and Midwifery Hostel where a delegate conference was held for the Regional Presidents to read their reports (activities, achievements and challenges), interact and share ideas among the various regional groups.
Speaking during the inauguration on Friday, the Controller and Accountant General (CAG), Madam Grace Francisca Adzroe, whose speech was read on her behalf by Mr. James Ntim Amponsah, Deputy Controller and Accountant General (DCAG) in charge of ITC Management (ITCM) expressed her happiness that, another chapter had been inaugurated after the last one at the Northern Region in 2013. She commended the Executives, both at the National and the Regional levels for their hard work which had sustained the Association till date.
CAG stated that, the idea cultivated by the founding members of TRELAS in forming the Association to bring ladies in CAGD together, was very visionary and should therefore be lauded. She also said “hard work by ladies to empower themselves to be able to contribute to society has culminated in more women taking responsible leadership positions, both locally and internationally”. She added that, these efforts by women groups, including TRELAS is another huge step towards empowering women to be self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to society.
Madam Grace Francisca Adzroe recounted struggles, the early leadership, especially the late former Eastern Region President of TRELAS, Madam Alberta Oye Tetteh, went through at the start of the Association in 1992. She praised them for not allowing the challenges at the beginning to weigh them down but pressed on till today, that the Association is inaugurated.
Touching on the theme for the event “Emerging reforms in Public Financial Management (PFM) – the role of the woman accountant” she mentioned the various financial reform measures including the financial laws, BPEMS, GIFMIS etc. and said, women have been at the forefront and had contributed immensely towards their promulgation and implementation.
CAG reminded them of the vision of TRELAS; thus, bringing together, grooming and equipping ladies to take up positions within CAGD and Ghana at large. She urged them to continue with the good work and tasked them to let all their programmes and activities be guided and geared towards achieving the vision.
She challenged the ladies to build their capacity and constantly upgrade themselves, saying opportunities to be at the top is there for them. She also congratulated those who have encouraged themselves and have ventured into accounting profession, which was first seen as a male dominated area to push on and asked other women to also take up the challenge, which she said, they are well able to do so.
Mrs. Mavis Ama Frimpong, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister who chaired the function expressed her appreciation for the invitation to the Minister. She said the Minister, Hon. Antwi Boasiako Sekyere would have wished to be there in person to share in their joy, but he returned to the country only the night before for an official assignment overseas. She said, she was very delighted to see another women’s group being inaugurated. She spoke about the role of women in society today and was full of joy that, many women are now at the helm of affairs in Ghana, citing the examples of Madam Adzroe of CAGD as being the first woman controller, The Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood, the new Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei , and several others.
Mr. Kweku Owusu Acheampong, the New Juabeng Municipal Chief Executive who also graced the occasion urged the newly elected executives to unite, stressing that, in unity lies strength. He cautioned against envy, undermining and pull him down attitude if they wanted to see the branch grow from strength to strength.
Mrs. Osei, the National President of TRELAS congratulated the Eastern Region TRELAS branch for the efforts put in to see the day come through. She asked for cooperation from all to ensure the growth and development of the chapter. After her message, she took the eight-member executive through an induction ceremony and led them to take the oath of office. The executives included, Rebecca Apaeyele Akanchise, Regional President, Rev. Rejoice Amesimeku, Vice President, Susana Asare, Secretary, Juliet Amoah, Assistant Secretary, others are Mgdalene Owusu, PRO, Mariam Asare-Ennim, Organizer, Beauty Amuzu, Financial Secretary, and Benice Akloryo, Treasurer,
Other speakers were Mr. Isaac Kweku Asare, the Eastern Regional Director, CAGD, Mr. Donko, a former Financial Controller at the Eastern Regional RCC commended the leadership and assured them of his support at all times. The Northern Regional president of TRELAS, Paulina A. Akolgo read a message on behalf of all the other regional TRELAS presidents. There were also goodwill messages from sister Associations, namely, ECG Ladies, Police Ladies, Fire Service Ladies, GNAT Ladies and Ghana Health Service Ladies.
Fund raising activity to provide seed money for the new chapter was organized as part of the day’s programme. An Adowa dance cultural group was also engaged to entertain the gathering during the event.
In the evening, the new chapter donated food items and clothing to a group called Matthew 25, made up of AIDS patients with Rev Father Alex Bobby Benson in charge and providing support services to them. A dinner was held on Saturday evening after a cleanup exercise in the morning at the Koforidua Central Hospital. The three-day event was crowned with a thanksgiving service at the St. Bakitah Catholic Church on Sunday morning.
By Robert Cudjoe
Head, PR Directorate-CAGD Head Office
