THE KROBO QUILL
Friday, September 6, 2024
THE ALLURING WATERFALL AT AKUMERSU
THE SISIAMANG STONE CITY
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
OKUAPEHENE IS MAKING CHIEFTAINCY INVITING
Thursday, December 29, 2022
‘FOCUS, FORTITUDE AND FORBEARANCE IN A LIFE JOURNEY; AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY’ BY SAMUEL TETTEH ADDO
‘FOCUS, FORTITUDE AND FORBEARANCE IN A LIFE JOURNEY; AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY’ BY SAMUEL TETTEH ADDO
By Herman A. Adjase-Kodjo & Henking A. Adase-Kodjo
‘Focus, Fortitude and Forbearance in a Life Journey’; an autobiography, is an irresistible page-turner that takes readers deep into the life of the author; Prof. Samuel Tetteh Addo, a distinguished geographer who has spent close to five decades acquiring and imparting knowledge to the highest level.
Published by GAVOSS Education
Plc Ltd 2022, Accra, the 284-page book is divided into 13 chapters with an
addendum that captures comments by the author’s spouse, H.E. Mercy Bampo Addo on the
80th birthday of the author.
There are also a number of
appendices which include a lecture by Prof. Addo on “Oklemekuku Azzu Mate Kole
II, the Great Krobo King and outstanding statesman”, delivered on the occasion
of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the passing of the eminent Krobo
Monarch who reigned between 1939 and 1990.
The appendix also contains a
publication Prof. Addo co-authored with Alex K. Addo on “The
Leadership/Education Nexus in the Development of Manya Krobo in Ghana
1939-1989; The Case of Oklemekuku Azzu Mate Kole II” as well as citations of
appreciation and recognition of the author by the University of Ghana for his
illustrious service.
The author also documented his
family lineage in a detailed family tree. Indeed, this is no average
autobiography.
The foreword to the book was
written by Alfred Teddy Konu, Former Registrar of the University of Ghana who
was Registrar at a time when there were only five public universities and for
that matter only five universities in Ghana and so what it meant to be a
Principal Officer (Registrar) of no less a university than the premier cannot
be overemphasised.
The tone is practical and
straightforward. The 13 chapters logically flow into succeeding chapters giving
readers a chronological piece and reflecting the author’s widely acknowledged
meticulous nature.
Prof. Samuel Tetteh Kwablah Agidi Addo
The author, Prof. Samuel
Tetteh Kwabla Agidi Addo was born on Tuesday, January 28, 1941, at Takorase
Miaweni in present-day Upper Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region of
Ghana. The book recounts and emphasises the making and transformation of little
Tetteh through the various phases of his life into the final and enviable Prof.
Addo, teasing readers along the unique trajectory that brought him from
obscurity in the Takorase Miaweni hamlet to the apex of academia at the University
of Ghana and beyond.
The author’s ‘academic
personality’ and cultured mannerisms are as unmistakable as infectious. Prof.
would always leave you in no doubt as to his being a professor with his bespoke
scholarly appearance, demeanour and speech. He literally ‘wears the book on his
sleeves’ and this exuded and advertised scholarship greatly among family and
other observers alike.
Beyond lecturing mainly at the
University of Ghana and a stint at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology, he obtained enormous exposure from the numerous high profile
Visiting Professor roles at North Carolina State University, Raleigh and other
institutions in the USA. Prof. Addo had earlier been with a number of Nigerian
universities including the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, the United
Nations University, Tokyo as a Research Fellow and the Rivers State College of
Education, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt which later became the Ignatius Ajuru
University of Education.
The author is a personality
who has had sufficient interactions with and made a positive impact on many
sectors of society including the church, politics, chieftaincy, family,
traditional state affairs and academia.
Why this book?
In the preface to the book,
the author emphasises his “desire to chronicle his lineage which has all along
been transmitted via oral narrative” as a key motivation for writing the book.
This he believes will serve as potent reference material for this and subsequent
generations of the family.
A second reason as quoted in
the foreword is to “record his educational trajectory in the hope that it will
serve to motivate and inspire our youth to strive to achieve excellence, however
difficult the circumstances may be.”
The major events
The story of Prof. Addo as
captured in this book is particularly enthralling from the background of the
sheer resolve with which he rose from missing out on secondary school (Adisadel
College) to the lack of financial support though having passed on more than one
occasion to attaining a PhD and reaching the limelight. Obtaining a full
distinction at the Middle School Leaving Certificate Exams was no fluke either.
He braved the odds going
through Nkawkaw Teacher Training College (NTC), Aburi, Government Teacher
Training College, Peki and then to the University of Ghana. From the author’s
childhood in the village through school to an extensive career as a University
Don amidst all the adversities and distractions, he has succeeded in putting
himself and his family on a high pedestal in what is a direct opposite of what
life back in the village in the beginning portended.
We are particularly enthused
at the perseverance and hard work that saw the author come out of his 1970
Bachelor of Arts in Geography with only Second Class Upper, an accomplishment
that gained a mention in a publication in the Daily Graphic.
Winning a conversion from a
Master’s Degree to a PhD candidate as one of the only two, (George Botchie and
Samuel Addo) upon the recommendation by external examiners was no mean feat.
This is more so because as the author put it on page 78 of the book, this feat
was achieved in a non-internet and non-photocopier environment; a situation
that would have obviously made research more tedious. The same duo of George
Botchie and Samuel Addo went ahead to update their proposals, collected
additional data and publicly presented their PhD thesis proposals at the
beginning of the 1972/73 academic year. This was said to be another first in
the University and thus a remarkable achievement for a man who could not get
the chance to obtain a secondary education.
The author’s appointment as
the first Dean of International Education Programmes at the University of Ghana
and his promotion to Full Professor around the same time are but a few notable
high points in a remarkable career.
The Attractions
The book aptly conveys the author’s deliberate and consistent deference and gratitude to great personalities whose guidance and support have contributed to his accomplishments in this life journey. Notable names here include the late Prof. Alex Adum Kwapong, first Ghanaian Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, the late Prof. K. B Dickson of the Department of Geography and Resource Development, who taught and supervised the author’s research works, Prof. Ebenezer Laing, a Professor of Botany who Prof. Addo describes as a friend, brother in Christ, teacher and mentor, the late Prof. P.A.V Ansah, former Master of Akuafo Hall and superior of the author and many others. We consider this attitude of deference and gratitude as one key message this book seeks to express and for that matter a virtue worth emulating.
The author’s acknowledgement
of the invaluable contribution of his elder brother, the late Andrews Kofi Addo
(who is on record to have introduced Prof. Addo to formal education) to his
success is commendable. Known in family and community circles as Teacher Addo
Kofi, a pacesetter, mentor and benefactor to the author and many of his
contemporaries, this remarkable personality no doubt made a profound impact on
the author and many others including our late father Peter Angmor-Atserdi
Adjase-Kodjo. For this reason, our father never missed an opportunity to
eulogize Teacher Addo Kofi.
Also noteworthy is the
author’s positive approach to life that motivated him to steadily build upon
the seemingly wobbly foundation to reach the apex of his ability. We believe
this will surely serve to encourage others in similar situations to persevere
and achieve their goals despite distractions and adversities.
Our impression and
recommendation
Reading the entire book gave
us sufficient insight into the rich life of a distinguished academic and thus
what to expect for those who might want to tread similar paths.
We cannot hide our fascination
with the author’s mental agility in recollecting the several and varied
occurrences in his general life and career particularly the sheer detail and
coherence in narration and recall of facts, names, dates etc. Again, his
penchant for detail may just have come in handy here. Even details of his
flights many years ago have not escaped him. The ability to retain and narrate
all the vivid details from many decades ago appears great to us.
Tell us if this detailed
recall of facts by the author on page 71 is not intriguing? “I finally opted to
do Transport Geography. Prof Dickson was disappointed but he assigned me to a
hardworking and meticulous German Lecturer, Dr Alfred Fiscian. George Botchie
and a Nigerian student, Theophilus Okoye signed up for Urban Geography. Thomas
Agawu and Kumedjoro decided to pursue Pedology under the tutorship of Dr G.T
Agyepong while T. W. Awadzi opted to study soils under the direction of Dr
Peter Ann in the Faculty of Agriculture but with the understanding that his
degree would be awarded in Geography. A Rhodesian student, Chichike, was doing
an Agricultural Geography course under the supervision of Dr George Benneh”.
When the time came for me to
address the gathering and explain the thoughts behind the event, I was caught
in a game of repetition whereupon Dr Clement Adjorbu seized the microphone and
performed the assignment. Apparently, I had had one more beer than necessary.
At about 11 pm, Prof. Dickson announced that he was taking over the bar. More
senior members had poured in. The party went on until almost 1 am.”
The content is laced with
lessons on the political history of Ghana, especially during the heady days of
the military rule, most of which had happened during the author’s days at the
University of Ghana. The book could thus also pass for an authentic source of
history.
The references also detail a
good number of the author’s research works. The author explains the numerous
challenges from multiple directions; family, work, church etc but he never
neglected his responsibilities to any of these. His love for his family cannot
escape a reader’s attention. It is evident in the numerous interventions and sacrifices
he made on the many occasions to ensure that everyone was fine even when he was
far away from home and amidst the many hurdles arising out of the political
environment at the time.
We have each read the entire
book a few times already and for the above reasons and more that needs to be
discovered, we wholly recommend to you “Focus, Fortitude and Forbearance in a
Life Journey; An Autobiography – Samuel Tetteh Addo.
****Reviewers note****
We consider it an honour to be
the ones to review the autobiography of no less a personality than Prof. Samuel
Tetteh Addo, a classic scholar and a man of immense dignity and honour who has
remained a leading light for many in several respects. So, we did not hesitate
at all in accepting this task and we are grateful to Prof. and the family for
this exciting opportunity.
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
A REJUVENATING ENCOUNTER WITH THE AKUMERSU WATER FALL
A REJUVENATING ENCOUNTER WITH THE AKUMERSU WATER FALL
A closer view of the waterfall |
The untarred road meandered through Brepaw, Feefe, Konkoney and ushered us into the peasant community of Akumersu in the Upper Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region. In that hamlet is a ‘virgin’ waterfall which is wasting away in a nearby bush.
The ‘vuuuuum’
sound which emanated from the revved engines of our chain of vehicles attracted
the attention of the natives. The old folks peeped from their windows or doorways
and flashed cheerful/friendly grins in our direction as if to assure us of the wonderful
hospitality the locals have come to be noted for. The kids had their own way of
welcoming us; they beamed with smiles, leapt in excitement and waved at the
convoy.
Gradually,
our vehicles processed and snaked through the community before we finally emerged
on an outcrop, a rocky surface broad enough to sit hundreds of tourists. There
was a brief picnic and moment of socialization to shake off the fatigue and
weariness arising out of the long travel.
Then
the real expedition began. A few steps away from the picnic center and before
us laid an alluring verd, a broad expanse of grassland that ate gently into the
horizon, overlooked by an azure sky. The lay of the surrounding was a sight to
behold, folks.
The verd/grassland that eats gently into the horizon |
Steadily, we went through the underwoods and down the gentle slope, some on wobbling feet which threatened to give up, forcing the thought of a retreat into their minds. I must confess that even me, I came tumbling twice even before we got to the destination.
Water flowing in an incredible volume off a steep crag, overhanged by lovely creeping plants and rocky formations in stratas |
One
striking scene that greeted us as we made the descent was this beautiful canopy
of indigenous forest trees in the enclave – sparsely pierced by streaks of
light - which appeared to be sheltering the water body. Air-master butterflies
of varied shades could be seen performing gymnastics on the leaves which swayed
mildly in the direction of the winds. The birds did not miss the occasion; they
hopped on the branches and chirped (like the Hamonious Chorale group of
singers) as if they wanted to leave us with an inerasable impression. The trees
did their own too; they dispensed into our nostrils an unending and
revitalizing breeze that kept our lungs bellowing and supplying oxygen to our
bodies.
Thursday, February 11, 2021
THE WOUND J.J. RAWLINGS INFLICTED ON MY LEGS
THE WOUND J.J. RAWLINGS INFLICTED ON MY LEGS
I
don’t remember the year but I remember I was in basic school. We had just
closed from school and boys were idling in the neighbourhood.
The
day had largely been uneventful and we were yearning for an escapade to end the
day with so when words went round that J.J. had flown an HARUGONTA (helicopter)
to town and landed on the Lasi park at Odumase-Krobo, our happiness was
boundless.
Ei, J.J? And guess what, the news spread like a gas-fueled inferno. Human traffic soon started moving in one direction; the young and old swarmed in excitement to the park to catch a glimpse of ‘Junior Jesus’. The name was that simple, J.J, yes J.J., not Jerry John Rawlings, it was just J.J.
In
that news, I found a compelling reason to evade the house chores that were
waiting for my attention. I was scheduled to pound fufu for the family’s
consumption and I was looking for a way to ‘balance from the system’ so I
joined the boys, we quickly hatched a plan and took flight.
The
prospect of seeing J.J. and his HARUGONTA filled us with so much energy that we
sprinted at top speed and yet we didn’t run out of steam even after running for
several minutes.
Then
we encountered a hurdle; there was this short retaining wall erected across the
‘lungu lungu’ footpath - that meandered through the neighbourhood. It was meant
to keep erosion in check.
The
first two boys ahead of me scaled the wall with cheeky ease and that gave me a
false impression that I could do so at the same speed as they did, so I hopped,
stepped and jumped but I ended up miscalculating the height of the wall and the
distance from where I jumped. I paid dearly, folks.
The
wall scraped my shin and scooped a sizable flesh on my left leg. Jesus Christ
of Nazareth ! The pain was damn excruciating. Tears welled in my eyes and
rolled down my cheek unbidden. Blood trickled down my foot and left it drenched
in no time.
PWe
applied our knowledge of local medicine, fetched some acheampong leaves and
rubbed it on the wounds to help stop the blood from flowing and yes it did but
the wounds became more obvious. Then a dilemma set in, to go watch J.J. or
retrace myself back home.
My
friends dragged me along like a wounded soldier, but as should be expected, the
incident tamed us and managed to suppress our zeal/enthusiasm. We were no
longer as boisterous and spirited as before. Now instead of running, we walked.
The other boys walked slowly so that the ‘wounded soldier’ could keep pace with
them.
What was more painful? By the time we got to the park, J.J. had flown his HARUGONTA back to Accra and the crowd was dispersing with varied tales on the lips of the people. You should listen to the interesting stories from the ‘early worms’ who arrived early enough to meet the MAGICIAN called J.J. We cursed our stars and hurled a good dose of the curse at J.J. in absentia.
Because
I ran away from pounding the fufu, I dreaded telling old girl about the wounds
so I hid it under my trousers for weeks until they festered.
Old
girl later discovered the wounds and applied the right remedy to heal them
after a marathon of painful treatment sessions, but the scars refused to go,
they are on my leg till date.
Oh
J.J !!
#JJRawlings
#JJ #Rawlings #RIPRAWLINGS #RIPJJRawlings #RawlingsGoesHome
Ny3
hii si n3 I pue ny3 toli p3.
Hahahahaaaa, I ml3 ny3 kpa yumu
NB: First published Wednesday 27th January 2021
DIPO AND KLAMA ARE NOT THE SAME
DIPO AND KLAMA ARE NOT THE SAME
This
year, I drew closer to the Kloyosipklemi festival of the chiefs and people of
Yilo Krobo. I made sure I was in town around that period and participated in some
of the activities including the pilgrimage to the ancestral home, the Krobo
Mountain. I was also at the grand durbar on the invitation of Nene Amoatey
Akpatsu Azza VI, Divisional Chief of Nyewer.
Folks, I was awed by a lot of things especially at the durbar, the most enchanting was the klama performance. I was busy savouring the moment; the nice tune; the rich, poetic and historical lyrics and feeding my eyes with the dazzling beauty of the nubile ‘girls’ performing the klama dance when snippets of a conversation between some lads seated next to me hit my eardrum.
My attention shifted to them momentarily. It was obvious from the line of argument that one of them didn’t know the difference between dipo and klama. To one of the guys, once he saw the ladies dressed as they did (in beads, cloths, headgear and dangling loin cloths), and dancing, they were performing dipo.
Nothing
was more surprising than the confidence with which the dude was advertising his
ignorance about the subject matter. I wasn’t invited to join the conversation
so I turned my attention back to the refreshing sight the event was offering me
and I made sure I had a single-minded focus on the dancers from that point.
One
of the dancers noticed I was keenly interested in what they were doing so she
flashed a cheerful grin in my direction and I also winked in acknowledgement.
You see your life, you want me to tell you more about that, right? It’s pure
‘toli’, so let’s get back to the essence of this post, the difference between
dipo and klama.
Dipo
is a whole rite involving different rituals while klama is simply a cultural or
folk dance. Let me offer a more detailed explanation.
Fact
is, dipo has come to be associated more with my people, Krobos, than any of the
other Dangme tribes. The whole rite has however been greatly impacted by
Christianity, formal education, modernity and other socio-economic factors to
the extent that the fear and reverence it evoked in the past have waned
considerably.
Now,
views over its relevance and justifications for its continuous performance are
quite mixed. I must say that throughout its changing phases, dipo has aroused
debates and generated diverse opinions and controversies which have led to
various forms of (usually) skewed analysis and interpretations by different
schools of thought. To cut it short, dipo is a whole rite involving a set of
rituals.
KLAMA:
Klama, on the other hand, is an indigenous dance of Krobo origin, performed
mainly at festive occasions - such as during the performance of dipo rites,
marriage ceremonies - and rarely at somber events such as funerals of
traditional priests, and chiefs.
The
klama rhythm or sound is composed of beats from a set of drums, gong and a
casaba of gourd or beaded gourd, known locally as fau.
The
dance move is characterized by a slow graceful, rhythmic body movement and the
shuffling of feet. Typically, the left arm is raised horizontally a little
above the waist level, and the wrist is wriggled mildly in tune with the beat
while the right arm, which points to the ground swings gently in conformity.
Simply
put, klama is a cultural/folk dance and not a ritual or rite.
Click
this link for a typical klama rendition: https://youtu.be/j4ZzuCIx7AM. I
remember recording and uploading this video about five years ago during an
event at the Roman Catholic Parish, Agormanya.
So
nobody will begrudge you if you say klama and dipo move hand in hand, but note
that they are NOT the same.
My 2
by 4 explanation. You can add on for purposes of education, folks.
NB: First published Saturday 19th December, 2020