Accra, Dec. 11, GNA - Mr. Vittorio Colao, Vodafone Group Chief Executive Officer, has pledged his commitment to ensure that Vodafone Ghana succeeds and becomes a valuable contributor to the Ghanaian economy.

"The Vodafone Group is fully committed to ensuring that the business in Ghana is very

successful and a valuable contributor to the Ghanaian economy," he said during his one-day

working visit to the country. Officials of Vodafone said Mr. Colao's visit was primarily to offer his support to the

management team of Vodafone Ghana, particularly in the face of the deepened controversy

surrounding Vodafone's acquisition of 70 per cent shares of Ghana Telecom (GT), following

the recent report of the inter-ministerial committee that reviewed the circumstances of the sale. The report raised more eyebrows about the integrity of the Sales and Purchase Agreement

(SPA) between the Vodafone and the previous government. The government has since announced that it would re-engage Vodafone on the SPA, and the

Vodafone Group has welcomed government's gesture. Mr. Colao said he believed that the partnership between Vodafone and the Government of

Ghana would be a strong and successful one, delivering great value over time to both

shareholders. His visit was also to gain a better understanding of the market challenges and opportunities

in Ghana. Whilst in the country, he addressed a durbar of staff and management of Vodafone Ghana,

where the staff performed a song a dance in celebration of Vodafone as "the employer of

choice" even though the company is in the process of laying off almost 2,000 Ghanaian staff. Recently Vodafone Ghana held the first ever employment fair by a telecom operator, and

thousands of Ghanaians patronized it with their curriculum vitae and resumes. The visit also took Mr. Colao to the Vodafone Call Centre in Accra and the Accra North

fixed line telephone exchange, currently undergoing modernization. Mr. Colao also hosted a lunch for a selected group of staff members who had performed

creditably in their various capacities since Vodafone came in country. He was also the guest of honour at an exclusive cocktail event hosted by Mr. David Venn,

CEO of Vodafone Ghana. The Vodafone Group CEO said he was impressed with the very significant turnaround

undertaken by the management and staff of Vodafone in Ghana. "Vodafone has already had a very significant positive impact on the Ghanaian

communications market and I am certain there is much more to come," he said. "As Vodafone

succeeds in Ghana, it should encourage other international businesses to invest in this market." 11 Dec. 09