Mr John Awuah, the Chief Executive Officer of UMB, said: “the UMB mobile app is not like some apps that we have on the market, it is a different way of banking on the go. It is a different way of banking whiles you are on your bed, in the washroom, at the dining table, driving in traffic, in school, in the office, wherever you find yourself, we want to provide you the opportunity to be able to bank with us.”

Mr Awuah said this during the maiden UMB media soiree in Accra, which was attended by over 80 business reporters, editors and managers of from both the private and state own media.

He said in 2017 the Bank of Ghana, the regulator of the banking sector, having reviewed the environment increased the minimum capital of banks from GHC 120 million to GHC 400 million.

He said: “This time they did not end at regulatory capital, they also talked only about unimpeded capital which goes further than what banks in Ghana are used to.”

“I am here to emphatically state that our Bank, UMB is in bold position to meet the capital requirement ahead of the deadline of December 2018. In doing this, we have decided not just to look for money, we are looking for strategic partners. So we appointed one of the leading investment banking firms in Africa - which we all know Renaissance Capital who are helping us as partners to look for a partner, who will be a strategic fit to all the things that we do at UMB.”

Mr Awuah said: “We see the media as strategic partners, we don't see you as just the fourth estates of our constitution, but we see you as partners in our business, as partners in nation building and as partners in everything that we do as banks and as businesses that exist in the shores of our country.”

He said there were a few things that they've decided to do; stating that “just as an eye opener or opener to the year of all the things that we've planned to collaborate with our media friends to achieve in 2018 and not just end it at 2018, but 2018 and beyond”.

“Sometimes, I tell our friends that when we sit on radio or take our pens and write, our readers are beyond the boundaries of this country.”

He said it is extremely important that media professionals put into perspective all the things they share with their listeners, readers and viewers; declaring that “in so doing we are able to maintain a healthy relation with our partners and even our advertisers as well”.

Mr Awuah also announced that the UMB would this year, partner with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to organise a media workshop as part efforts to build the capacity of journalists, especially business reporters.

Mr Affail Monney, the GJA President, lauded UMB for supporting the Association in organisation of its annual awards.

He said it was of strategic necessity for both the GJA and UMB to work together, not only to bring about qualitative improvement in the media landscape but also to promote Ghana's economic outlook.

He expressed gratitude to UMB for its plans to bring out an expert to organise a workshop for media professionals.

Mr Monney also appealed to Corporate Ghana to emulate UMB's shining example.

Mr Ransford Tetteh, the Acting Managing Director, Graphic Communications Group, also urged Corporate Ghana to extend their support to all the media houses - private, state, print and electronic; so that they would continue to ensure that Ghana's democracy grows from strength to strength.

Acting President of Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) Mr Kenteman Nii Laryea Sowah, also appealed to the Board and Management of UMB to invest in the media especially the private media.

He said growing the media was the only way through which businesses could grow.