The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, Yohane Amarh Ashitey, has repeated his encouragement to Ghanaians to look forward to the country emerging from the doldrums in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This time, the MCE who has been asking Ghanaians to trust President Akufo-Addo and his government in the current difficult times, referenced the assurance by the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the IMF is closing in on a deal with Ghana.

“As things stand right now, a major part of our progress plan is the program with the IMF and if you have been following the news, we have received very positive feedback from the IMF MD who has said we can have a deal by the end of the second quarter of this year.

“I think we have a very solid reason to be optimistic that soon, we will come out of the doldrums and march on into more national progress and development.”

The MCE said this while answering a journalist on the sidelines of an awards dinner in Tema that had been organized as part of this year’s edition of the Kpeledzoo Festival of the chiefs and people of Tema in the Greater Accra Region.

The awards program came off at the Tema Naval Base on Friday, 14th April, 2023.

Madam Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the IMF recently told journalists that a deal with Ghana is close.

Speaking to journalists at the IMF’s Spring meeting in the United States capital, Washington DC, that Ghana’s creditors have also grown appreciative of the country’s efforts to surmount the challenges of the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our program is a bridge for Ghana and to tell you the truth, I am actually quite optimistic. I think Ghana is trying to move and creditors are going to move swiftly so, so I guess the short answer to you is to stay tuned and stay positive,” the IMF boss said.

The IMF boss also reiterated that Ghana is in the current economic challenge because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the knock-on effect of the Russia/Ukraine war.

Commenting on this, the Tema MCE said the reiteration is yet another vindication of President Akufo-Addo and his government that Ghana was knocked off course by COVID-19 and the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“For those who have been arguing that the situation was not caused by these two factors, I hope that they finally find reason to divorce that argument because no matter how much they think they know economics, they cannot have better insight on these issues than the IMF boss,” the MCE said.

Meanwhile, the Kpeledzoo awards night was a well-attended program that saw many illustrious residents and indigenes of Tema acknowledged for their contribution to the development of the harbour city.

Hon. Dennis Amanor, the Tema East sub metro chairman and other speakers at the function were full of praise for Hon. Yohane Amarh Ashitey for organizing mega funerals for the late Tema Mantse and Mr. Ishmael Ashitey, a former Greater Accra Regional minister. The presiding Member of TMA and the National Dean of PMs, Hon. Joseph Korto said “ Yohane Amarh Ashitey is very brilliant, God-fearing, very innovative and has improved Kpeledzoo festival, education, health, sports, security and environmental sanitation among other things, the jobs he has provided for the youth is also commendable”.

Those in attendance include Mrs. Lola Asiseh Ashitey, beautiful wife of the MCE, Nene Ofoe TeyeChu Agbadiagba IV, Tema East NPP Chairman, Mr. Stephen Aboagye, Special assistant to the MCE, Mr. Albert Kraku, a communication expert, Mr. Frank Asante, Public Relations Manager, TMA, Mr. Oko Adjetey, a former TDC board chairman, Nii Adjetey Agbo II, acting Tema mantse, Nii Amarh Somponu, Tema stool secretary and Assembly Members.