The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has held its 8th annual thanksgiving service at the CSIR- Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) in Accra on Wednesday.
The CSIR is regarded as one of the leading scientific and technology research, development, and implementation organisation in Africa.
The event brought together officials and staff of the CSIR, stakeholders and some clergy, and was on the theme: “Oh Give Thanks Unto the Lord for He is Good!” (Psalm 107:1).
Welcoming participants at the event, the Director of CSIR- STEPRI, Dr Wilhelmina Quaye, said the event presented an opportunity for the CSIR to express its gratitude to the almighty God despite the many challenges the year presented.
Despite the challenges, Dr Quaye added that the council recorded some significant achievements including a smooth transition of power at both the management and board levels.
She also highlighted the individual achievements of some staff who have acquired Ph.D. degree status and others who continue to work on new capabilities to deliver on their jobs.
The Nine Lessons and Carols-styled event provided a platform for the organisation to take stock of its activities for the year, and also remember its fallen heroes who passed on in the year.
Delivering a sermon titled ‘From Guilt to thanks’, Rev. Dr Edward Ebo Onumah of the Living Word Assemblies International Church admonished all to make a deliberate act of thanksgiving to the Lord while eschewing any tendencies of guilt as it destroys one’s ability to receive from the Lord.
As part of the activities of the day, a special fundraising drive was initiated to raise funds for the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital which yielded a significant amount of money.
In an end-of-year message, the Director General of the CSIR, Professor Paul Pinnock Bosu echoed the sentiments of earlier speakers when he also expressed gratitude to God for his traveling mercies to CSIR workers, council members, stakeholders, and the government.
Prof. Bosu outlines his organisation’s plans for the future and promised to aggressively pursue the CSIR’s four-point agenda outlined in its Strategic Plan.
He gave special thanks to the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey for his intervention in the ongoing encroachment of CSIR research lands by private individuals, especially the one that occurred at the CSIR-Animal Research Institute in Accra.
In a fraternal message, Pro- Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Felix Asante, said his presence at the event was a sign of the good collaboration between the two eminent organisations and added there should be more such collaborations in the future.
The 8th annual thanksgiving continues a long tradition of organisational togetherness and thanksgiving fostered among the 13 research Institutes of the Council.
This year’s event was hosted by CSRI-STEPRI in an atmosphere of thankfulness and hope for the future.
BY ANDREW NORTEY