IT STILL FEELS LIKE A DREAM..

Komla Dumor, Saturday,25th will be exactly a week of your demise. A day we dread to remember. As the news of your passing spread like a wild fire thanks to social media, many of us thought and hoped it was a hoax. I recall receiving post of grieve and condolences on facebook.

My initial reaction like was " oh come on, this cant be true!!!! this is an expensive joke"...to be really convinced I checked on BBC online then a confirmation from your brother and bossom friend Hebert Mensah, the shock, the chills but the reality some how down on me although it was still hard to believe that Komla Dumor who was last seen hosting his TV show focus on Africa the previous Friday has passed on to eternity the following morning in a cardiac arrest.

Since last Saturday I have not been able to come out of the shock and it makes me wonder how those who are really close to him feel.
A Great inspiration for us young journalist. You made those of us in your generation to believe that everything is possible with determination.

For some of us, we will hold on to your trade mark of "professionalism' as we serve mankind in our line of duty.
You played well "Boss Player"

FARE THEE WELL!!!!

KOMLA DUMOR...VERY SHOCKING.!!!!!

From his facebook wall, '' Looking forward to interviewing # South Sudan ex child soldier musician@ Emmanuel JAL on Focus on Africa today at 1730GM,T'
This was posted on Friday at 9:20am. at the time of publishing this story, the post had attracted 205 likes and 323 comments of condolence to Komla who is now deceased.
who would have ever thought he will be dead Saturday morning. He was 41 years old.
Komla Dumor formerly of JoyFm and Anchor of BBC Focus on Africa was confirmed death by a close family source in London. Details of his passing away is yet to be revealed later today by the family.

KOMLA DUMOR AND HERBERT ON JANUARY 12 @ A FAMILY GATHERING

one of Komla's close friends Herbert Mensah Former CEO OF Kumasi Asante Kotoko, who confirmed the death in an interview with Joy News in a tribute said 'My Dearest Friend passed away but two years ago and i realised then that if one so great as Gbegi could be taken away then we are all living at the mercy of God whom we worship and yet in times like this can never understand! My values have changed and my appreciation for the life of others has magnified!

Then in 2013 i lost family and friends! All losses so close to home it was frightening and testing! Death is something we are not prepared for and which even when we suspect it descending on us pray that it moves elsewhere!

The icy hand of death seems to have no bounds. Death strikes irrespective of age, colour, gender or creed and in 2014 it is delivering another torrent of sadness and helplessness to those of us still on earth.

We must be strong or so we are told. We must continue to keep the faith we are taught and yet in death there is nothing left to pray for and we must only continue to survive at death's seeming pleasure and for others we love!

What if?
Why?
And yet we must still keep the faith?
then......

I guess we all die!

Prof. Ewurama Addy...R.I.P

A family source told Accra based radio station, Citi FM that the professor of Biochemistry died Tuesday morning after a short illness.As a resource person for science education programmes in Ghana, Prof Addy became very popular as the host of the Science and Maths quiz  television programme - Brilliant Science and Maths Quiz.She contributed immensely to science education by making the subject interesting to Ghanaians of all ages with her role as the Quiz Mistress of the national weekly science and maths quiz programme, .It is believed that her quiz mistress role inspired many female students to study science.She was 72 years old.Biography Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy was a Professor of Biochemistry. In January 2008 she was appointed President of the Anglican University College of Technology, a newly launched private initiative for higher technical education in Ghana.She is currently Chair of the Policy Committee on Developing Countries (PCDC), a Committee of the International Council for Science, (ICSU), Chair of Ghana’s National Board for Professional and Technicians Examinations (NABPTEX), member of WHO Regional Expert Committee on Traditional Medicine, advisor to the International Foundation for Science, Stockholm, Sweden and Founder and First Executive Secretary of Western Africa Network of Natural Products Research Scientists (WANNPRES), established February 2002.In the seventies, she took leave from the University of Ghana to become the Director of Programmes for the Science Education Programme for Africa (SEPA), a pan African programme for pre-tertiary science education, which was based in Accra Ghana. Her experiences in academia were mainly in teaching biochemistry, both basic and applied, to undergraduate, post-graduate, dental and medical students at the University of Ghana, Legon and at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington DC.Her main area of research was the science of herbal preparations used by Traditional Medical Practitioners, especially their safety, efficacy and how they work. She was a member of the Kwami Committee, a Technical Committee on Polytechnic Education set up by the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), to study and make recommendations that was to guide the NCTE to formulate policy and advise government on polytechnic education.She was also a member of a four-man UNDP Consultancy Team in Ghana set up in 1994 to formulate a National Action Program for Science and Technology Development. Professor Addy was educated at the University of Ghana, where she studied towards a degree in Botany, and at the Pennsylvania State University, where she obtained Masters and Doctorate degrees in biochemistry.As head of unit or department in various institutions, Professor Addy was responsible for initiating projects, running workshops and sourcing for funds for these activities as well as for younger scientists in training. Professor Addy’s interest and extension activities were in bridging the gap between scientific and indigenous knowledge and in the popularisation of science.She was often called upon to be a Resource Person and/or Role Model for programmes in female science education.She was the first Quiz Mistress of the popular weekly televised National Science and Mathematics Quiz programme, primarily aimed at improving the learning of science and mathematics for secondary school students.She hosted the programme for seven years and was responsible for its popularity.  Professor Addy received many awards including: The Millennium Excellence Award for Educational Development at the turn of the millennium; UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the popularization of science in 1999; The Africa-America Institute’s Distinguished Alumna for Excellence in 1998 and Marketing Woman of the Year, in 1995, for marketing Science. 

Source:Graphiconline.com

My Memory of Prof. Addy.

Every Saturday morning between 11 am we all rushed to watch the quiz show " National Brilliant Maths and Science
Quiz"on Ghana Television (GTV) to cheer our favourite secondary school up. In those days, schools which appeared on show was regarded as a top-notch school so it motivated many of us to learn hard in orther to gain admission into such schools.
When maths and science had become a no go area for many students, Prof Ewurama Addy made it more fun and rewarding to learn these core subjects. We didn't watch it just for the fun of it, for some of us we used it as another platform to learn more and also catch up on certain topics we didn't understand in the classroom. Sometimes Prof. Addy's questions as the quiz mistress came up in our exams so wacting the show was more or less like a bonus for passing our maths and science subjects. The show also stregthened quiz competetion among schools at the local level because every school espercially quiz lovers dreamed of making appearance on the show.
Personally I admired Prof.Ewurama Addy for her strictness yet encouraging tone of presentation. As a girl child I remember abandoning my house chores just to catch up.


RIP Prof...I am one of the many lives you impacted

A SSNIT HOSPITAL WINS INTERNATIONAL AWARD.

The Trust Hospital in Accra has received the European Quality Award in recognition of its dedication to quality healthcare delivery and best clinical practices, becoming the first Ghanaian enterprise to be decorated with the prestigious accolade.The award ceremony, which was held in Oxford in the United Kingdom, December, is an annual award to recognize institutions that produce competitive high-quality service with verifiable evidence and success.Institutions are also selected on the basis of statistical data and recommendations from analytical, sociological, research, advertising rating and PR-agencies.General Manager of the Trust Hospital, Dr Darius Kofi Osei, in an exclusive interview with this reporter, said the award is in recognition of the hard work and prudent management put in place to run the facility in recent times.The hospital’s objective to be the best in the country was what helped us in beating our competitors to the award, Dr Kofi Osei added.He said since the redefinition of the role of management, there has been a tremendous improvement in its performance.Dr Kofi Osei intimated that the exceptional contribution of the staff cannot be gloss over.The Trust Hospital, which is one of Ghana’s premium hospitals, has played major role in the expansion of Ghana’s health infrastructure and enhancement of service delivery over the years.The hospital has six clinics strategically positioned in the Greater Accra Region to serve the health needs of patients, especially in the remote areas.The hospital, owned by SSNIT, has operated as a limited liability company since 2012 and it is estimated that an average of 300 patients visit the facility every day.

POPE FRANCIS NEW RULE ON THE TITLE " MONSIGNOR"

The Secretariate at the holy see has issued a statement explaining the change in practice Pope Francis has instituted regarding the granting of the title of Monsignor.
By a circular letter sent to the world's Nunciatures, the Secretariat informed Bishop Conferences that in the World's Dioceses, the only ecclesiatical title henceforth to be conferred shall be " Caplain of his Holiness" to which the appellation " Monsignor" shall correspond.

The circular further clarifies that the use of the title " Monsignor" in connection with certain major offices -where this is a cultural practice ( Bishop, Vicar General etc ) remains unchanged.
With regards to Roman Curia, no changes have been made either in the title or in the use of the appellation Monsignor, these being connected to the offices entrusted and to the services performed.

The title shall be conferred only upon preist who have reached the age of 65.
It also noted that the rule has no retroactive effect thetefore all those who already bear the title Monsignor will not be affected even if they are below the age 65.

COURT JAILS 2, FOR 35 YEARS IN COCAINE SAGA.

Two members of the drug syndicate who were arrested by the Narcotics Control Board of Ghana and its various agencies late last year on Ghanaian waters for trafficking 414 slabs of cocaine into the country have been sentenced by an Accra High Court to 35 years imprisonment with hard labour.

The two, namely, Miller Ronald O’Neil, 55, a Guyanese and Captain of the Guyanese ship and Seth Grant 43, a Ghanaian and father of three, were convicted on their own plea and sentenced to 20 and 15 years respectively on each of the three counts leveled against them to run concurrently.

The two were part of the of the five persons arrested on MV ATTIYAH, a Guyanese ship.

The 2nd accused person Ronald O’Neil who doubles as the Captain of the ship, MV “ATIYAH, George-Town, told the court that he was aware of the whole syndicate, adding that he was lured into the entire move due to the financial debts and the love for money.

He also narrated to the court, which was presided over by Justice C.J. Hoenyenugah, an Appeal court judge, sitting as an additional High Court judge that  he had been into the drug business before which led to his first incarceration in Holland eighteen years ago when he was a seaman.

The court before pronouncing its final verdict against the two accused who had already pleaded guilty, ordered that a field test be conducted on the 414 slaps of exhibits suspected to be cocaine by Martin Adarkwa Yiadom, Head of Drug, Cosmetic and Forensic Department of the Ghana Standard Authority, which turned out to be positive for narcotic drug.

The trial judge, Justice C.J. Hoenyenugah in his ruling noted that the conviction was necessary considering the gravity of the offense and the reputation of the country therefore leveling three counts against the two accused persons.

The counts were (i) Engaging in criminal conspiracy by trading in narcotic drug business under section 3 (3) & 56 of PNDC Law 236/90; (ii) Importation of Narcotic drug without lawful authority under section 1 (a) of PNDC Law 236/90 and (iii) Possessing Narcotic drugs without lawful authority under section 2 (1) of PNDC Law 236 /90.

Meanwhile, the remaining three accused persons, Perceval Curt, Samuel Mornty and Saint Praimchad, all Guyanese, who were also allegedly involved in the crime and who pleaded not guilty are expected to appear in court on January 10, to stand trial on the alleged offenses leveled against them by the narcotics control Board Investigators.

The trial judge after his judgment ordered for the destruction of 413 slabs of the 414 tendered in as exhibit by officials from the Narcotic Control Board. The one remaining slap left as exhibit for the trial of the remaining three accused persons.

It would be recalled that, on Monday November 19th, 2013, the five were arrested in the Western region aboard a Guyanese ship, “ATIYAH, George-Town” which was carrying 21 bags of substances suspected to be cocaine with a street value of 60 million dollars.

The five first appeared in court on December 23rd where the two pleaded guilty for the counts leveled against them.

The successful interception was ably executed by officials of the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) and its various security agencies following a tip-off from Ghana’s international security partners when the ship was sailing from Guyana.

Source: NACCOB Communication unit.