The project kicked off with the celebration of this year’s Valentine Day, which fell on February 14, on which staff were clad in red and white casual attires to show love. The Independence Day was also marked with colourful traditional attires across the head office and branches of the Bank.

Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is recognized as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love in many regions around the world, although it is not a public holiday in any country.

Each year on February 14, people exchange cards, candy, chocolate or flowers with special “valentine” people to show their love and affection for another person.

In Ghana, Valentine’s Day has been christened chocolate day as it is mostly celebrated with the exchange of chocolate and other confessionary to show love and affection towards one another.

This year’s Valentine day celebration was an exception at the ARB Apex Bank. For the first time in the history of the Bank, staff dressed down in Valentine colours. Both management

and non-management staff appeared to work decently dressed in red, white and black.

On the morning of the Val’s day, staff were welcomed by love songs, which was heard all over at the premises of the Bank. Mr Kojo Mattah, the Managing Director, also for the first time in the history of the Bank, delivered a Valentine’s Day message to all staff through the Public Address system, which has been christened “Apex Overhead FM

144.0”. He was assisted by the Head of Finance and Administration, Mr Benjamin Chamel to distribute bars of chocolate to all staff and the first few customers who walked into our banking halls. The day did bring practical meaning to why the day has been christened chocolate day in Ghana. The ten (10) Branches of Apex Bank were not left out. They also put up a colourful display on the chocolate day. The Branch Managers helped to distribute bars of chocolate to staff and the first few customers who visited the branches.

Some staff who were on official duty and selected RCBs and Licensed Cocoa Buying companies (LCBs) were not left out of the celebration. Michael Appiah, Maxwell Donkor and Gordon Dery distributed bars of chocolate to over 30 RCB staff and 5 LCB staff who took part in a round table discussion on the cocoa financing.

At noon of the Valentine’s Day, the mid-day news was read on “Apex Overhead FM 144.0” by Veronica Ossom. As part of the news headlines, Mr Rodrick Ayeh, Chairman of the Apex Local Union commended the Managing Director of the Bank for showing true love to all staff on this year’s Valentine’s Day. The day brought staff together as members of staff at all levels were seen exchanging gifts, bars of chocolate and hugs among others.

The day also brought practical meaning to the Bank’s motto: “Together for Progress”.

6th March Independence Day
Staff at the Head Office and all the ten branches of the Bank came to work dressed in very colourful African traditional clothes, to bring real meaning to why we are Africans. The project, which is has become formalized in the Bank is also meant to help promote made in Ghana clothes and fabric.

It is expected to help grow the local economy of the country while also getting the staff closer to our esteemed customers.