Lawyer Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, has been decorated with the “Commitment and dedication award,” by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Sunyani.

The CDA Consult in collaboration with the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) in a citation acknowledges the courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, and guts exhibited by the Minister over the years.

The citation presented at the second in a series of the National Anti-Counterfeit Electrical Products/Electronic Appliances Campaign at Sunyani from April 12 to 14, which was on the general theme: “Avoid Patronage of Counterfeit Electrical Products/Electronic Appliances Campaign”.

“Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, as a Barrister at Law, you have exhibited excellent analytical skills, creative and able to think of reasonable solutions when problems and unique situations arise, and you continue to make logically and reasonable judgments and assumptions based on information presented.

“CDA Consult also recognises your remarkable performance as the President of the Local National Union of Ghana Students, from 1993 to 1994 whilst studying at the University of Ghana; your services to humanity as a practicing lawyer at Akyedee Legal Services, in Sunyani from 1998 to 2004; and as the head of Henewaa Chambers in Sunyani from 2004 to 2016.

“CDA Consult is therefore proud of Honourable Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh’s accomplishment. We hereby decorate you with the Commitment and Dedication Award in appreciation of your outstanding hard work, and opening the National Anti-Counterfeit Electrical Products Exposure Workshop, on the theme: “Avoid Patronage of Counterfeit Electrical Product/Electronic Appliances.

“We appreciating your positive role and commitment to join forces to fight against the proliferation of counterfeit electrical products in the Region, CDA Consult therefore decorates you”.

The decorated citation was presented to a representative of the Regional Minister by Mr Francis Mensah Akpaloo, a Scientific Officer and Technical Supervisor of the GSA, and supported by the Second-In-Command of the Brong Ahafo Regional Police, E. A. Bossah and Regional Fire Safety Officer Richard Sagoe.

Mr Asomah-Cheremeh in a response commended CDA Consult for the intensified national campaign to get rid of counterfeit electrical products and electronic appliances in the Ghanaian market.

The Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister lauded such a campaign and rallied the support of other civil society organizations, politicians and the general public to enable the CDA Consult to achieve useful outcomes.

Mr Asomah-Cheremeh said it was unfortunate Ghana was becoming a fertile ground for counterfeit products saying “it is therefore necessary that we all join forces to fight the increase of counterfeit products and also equip electricians and retailers to be able to distinguish between fake and genuine products”.

“The usage of counterfeit electrical products is a major contributor to the rampant fire outbreaks in the country, its usage has a huge negative economic impact on the country as it impedes development, creates huge financial loss to investors and the state as well as lead to loss of lives,” he said.

He called on individuals, groups and all key stakeholders to be watchful and report any issue of counterfeit electrical products to the appropriate agencies such as the District Assemblies, GSA, police and the fire service. “We should always take the pain to scrutinize labels and packaging, and check authentication of electric products before purchasing,” Mr Asomah-Cheremeh advised.

Mr Francis Ameyibor, the Executive Director, CDA Consult said the collective roles of the law enforcement agencies and the media in fighting counterfeit electrical products were enormous, and asked the media to intensify public education on the dangers of using the fake products.

He said the campaign which started last year at Ho, Volta Region, December 14 to 16, 2017 and moved to Sunyani, Brong Ahafo Region, April 12 to 14, 2018 was constrained with sponsorship and therefore appealed to dealers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders to join the campaign with financial and other logistical supports.

“We need more partners to contact and join forces with CDA Consult through email: communicate2develop@gmail.com so that collectively we can deal with the canker of fake electrical products and electronic appliances dealers who have found fertile ground for operating in Ghana,” he said.

The CDA Consult provides tailor made development communication tools necessary for operational transformation and translating dreams into achievable goals and equips clients with mechanism for public education on specific issues.

It also provides effective back-up or frontline monitoring and evaluation tools to ensure value for money delivery of projects, whilst providing clients with skills to deliver timely and accurate information on their activities, work, programmes and projects.

The Consult worked to build responsive working culture for corporate growth through a social process at institutional levels based on dialogue using a broad range of tools and methods.