TO MY BROTHER KOFI ADOM-BOAKYE.
MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PERFECT PEACE.
This is a heartfelt tribute to Kofi. I am writing this more like a story. Kofi was larger than life in many ways and to write a précis would not do him justice. I am going to tell a story from my point of view, illustrating the Kofi I knew. No apologies to anyone for the ramble and gaps in the story. I am recounting this from what I remember only. He and I were always honest and straight forward with each other so he will know from where he is watching all this, why I tell his story this way.
The news of the passing of my brother Kofi Adom-Boakye came as a shock to me. I knew he was ill but somehow, either through naiveté or disbelief, I did not allow myself to think he was in such a serious place. If I had known I probably would have paid a lot more attention.
But I did not because Kofi in his own way lulled me into a sort of comfort zone so that the end was not something I contemplated at all. I had spoken with him a couple of weeks earlier and we had had our usual chat, and although I could tell he was not very strong he still sounded like all was well and went out of his way to impress upon me that he was ok.
And I believed him. Because only a few months earlier I had called him, thinking he was in Accra and asked him to help deal with a problem of a mutual friend. Kofi did just that and in his usual calm way, poured oil on troubled waters, and helped ease the very serious problems, for which we will be forever grateful. It was only afterwards that I found that he had come to Accra all the way from his village in Ashanti to help deal with the problem. All the way. Such a selfless human being. Such a kind gentleman. We shall forever miss his wise counsel.
Like most of our friends in our University of Ghana School of Administration B.Sc class of 1973, I met Kofi only on arrival on campus in the last quarter of 1970. My experience however was a little privileged. We were paired together in our second year in one room and became fast friends. At that time he was known as Mr. A. A. Adom, recently from Prempeh College. A young scholar, down to earth, savvy, worldly wise, and extremely clever to boot. I on the other hand was a happy go lucky person, drifting through, doing whatever it was the right to do, and generally enjoying myself.
One day Kofi announced that he had legally changed his name. He was now to be known as Mr. Kofi Adom-Boakye. We had become used to calling him just ‘Adom’ but the name change created a new reference name and he became ‘Adom-B’, and that is the name we used for him until we became older and begun to use only our first names. Whereupon he became just ‘Kofi’.
He helped me steady myself in many ways. Kofi was clever, nevertheless he studied hard to improve himself, and here I was never really studying unless it was entirely necessary. However he took a shine to me. I did not study much but I seemed to be doing well. And that intrigued him. Little did he know that I was feeding off him. That is until we sat down one to discuss life and we really found out about each other. He studied hard but he very much liked to discuss his findings and other issues with whoever would listen. That helped him embed his knowledge as appropriate. I on the hand did my learning through lectures and discussion. I was always attentive in class because that is where I learnt. I had to understand the lectures and presentations there and then, because to sit down to study just did not work for me. Kofi was always surprised in our discussions how much I had understood and could explain to him just by having sat in class, so he learned off me too. On the other hand at University level, classroom work is not enough. So in our discussions we fed off each other because Kofi would be full of all the other knowledge I would never have picked up by myself. It worked. Of course I eventually did a lot of research too but never as thoroughly as Kofi did. I will forever be grateful to him.
Our relationship became very personal, and he became a special friend whom I counted amongst my closest. The whole family came to know him too. We did things together as much as we could, along with Yaw Adipa (The Yaw) and Stanley Amarteifio (SAmar) both of blessed memory. We were all in Akuafo Hall so the friendship thrived. I needed them too because Kofi used to Enahoro me a lot! Yes, Kofi was down to earth not some study worm, but a warm friendly person with lots of friends and liaisons of all sorts. A very nice bloke to know.
He introduced me to all sorts of intellectual magazines and I introduced him to extracurricular pursuits. I tried to get him to play squash, it did not work. I tried to take him swimming in the Achimota pool with me. It did not work. Indeed he told in Twi he had not come to Accra to see the sea!! While I played a lot of games he did not. Until one day I found out he could run. The Legon Cross Country contest was around the corner so I urged him to train up. He did not. But on the day of the contest we were surprised to see Kofi in the line up. Without any practice runs and without preparation. The race started smoothly and interestingly Kofi was up there with the leaders. In fact he was good. But nature has a way of catching up with us, after about two thirds of the course Kofi disappeared. Without practice his stamina gave out and before he knew it the poor fellow was lying in a hospital bed at the Legon hospital suffering from the extreme fatigue. I never saw him run again.
One game though that he was extremely good at was draughts. But he never played. One day we watched a championship game in Akuafo Hall together and he told me afterwards in private that he could beat the champion. I believed him. So I arranged a private match with the champion at a quiet venue with only a few spectators. We all left extremely humbled. In a serious straight forward manner, as if it was business as usual, and with none of the usual insults and taunts of a draughts match, Kofi thoroughly trounced the champion 5-0. I will not be surprised if even till today that guy trembles at the mention of Adom-B. The humiliation was merciless and clinical, no frills, no decoration, just pure expert execution. He was that good.
We discussed a lot of things together including what we would do with our lives. I was still drifting through life. I knew I would be ok with whatever came along but I did not know what it would be.
Kofi on the other hand had chartered out his life.
Stage 1: When we finished school he would go and work in Industry to make use of what he was then learning.
Stage 2: after the industrial experience, he would become a lecturer and impart his experience and knowledge to the upcoming,
Stage 3: He would venture into entrepreneurship and consultancy, then finally
Stage 4: he would become a politician, so that he could do his bit to influence the progress of the country.
Lofty ideas. But I must say though that Kofi did all of the above except become a fully fledged politician, I believe but for his ill health, he might have eventually become involved in one way or the other.
He certainly worked in industry and made a good mark.
During National Service after University, he ended up at Accra Brewery as Marketing Trainee. That was interesting because Kofi did not drink alcohol, but now he was obliged to promote and to sell the stuff. This was where he got to apply his marketing skills properly. I have it on authority that he was a great influence in sorting out the marketing image woes of the company at the time.
Such brilliance does not go unnoticed and he was soon lured or poached to join the Ghana Aluminium Company in Tema. He told me himself, that it was quite a traumatic time for him. At that time the Ghana Aluminium Company made many ancillary aluminium products, and as marketing Manager Kofi had to sell boats. His very first trip was terrible. After having sold a boat on the Volta River in Ada, he was obliged to take a maiden ride with the new owner. Unfortunately the river was rough and bouncy that day. Kofi was not used to boats and before he knew it one great bounce had thrown him into the water. Kofi could not swim, and although wearing a life jacket he was drowning, from anxiety, fear and panic. Of course all of the crew and passengers on the boat expected that the marketing manager selling boats could swim, so they were not overly concerned until one of the crew realized that he was drowning and dived in to rescue him. Not a good experience. Later on when he told me about it, of course I reminded him that I had tried to teach him to swim and he had told to me that beautiful Twi expression “wo kae s3 me baa Nkran s3 me be hw3 po”!
As if that was not enough, after many trips when he had now gained confidence and had made sure he would never be thrown out of a boat again, he had to go to launch another new boat at Akosombo. Normally a piece of cake. Unfortunately this time the boat had not even taken off when he fell in. He was busy showing his clients into the boat. When they were all in, he took a step to go on board himself. At that exact time to boat drifted away and he stepped straight into the water, then the boat drifted back and covered the space. Kofi could not swim and the boat was now blocking his path upwards. He was again drowning. Luckily again one of the crew realized that he was a long time coming back up from around the boat so dived in and saved Kofi. There is no such thing as third time lucky. He resigned literally on the spot.
The next time I heard from Kofi he had entered stage two, and had gone off to teach in Nigeria. We sort of lost contact for some time while he was gallivanting in Nigeria. Eventually he came back home, continuing to teach, but we were only in contact intermittently. By this time we were both married so the relationship became wider, and our children became friends. Kofi was a good family man, although very busy with his many business and educational pursuits which took much of his time.
By this time he had ventured into his stage 3, alongside stage 2. He set up a consultancy KAB and Associates. He drew me in to see what was going on but we never worked together. My time schedule with Unilever was too restrictive at the time. He however did some collaborative work with a number of our mates. For example, amongst others, he worked with John Klinogo on several World Bank projects, with Felicity Opare-Anoff on other skill development projects. I visited his office in Osu Accra as often as I could. His Aunt, Miss Abubakr, who had been a teacher at Achimota School while I was in school there, was then working with him so I would go there whenever I was in the area just to say hello, to shoot the breeze, and to catch up on current matters.
Kofi disappeared again, this time to the US in search of more laurels, and our contact became even more intermittent.
When he returned home, one would have thought he would move fully into stage 5. In fact I believe he made a few forays into politics including trying to stand as Member of Parliament for his area. It was however short lived for party reasons and inter party ideological issues at the time and therefore he got stuck in the joint stage 3 & 4, teaching, lecturing, and lending his vast experience to businesses and projects that needed his help. This included his Asokwa hometown in the Ashanti Region where he was made a chief. Unfortunately due to ill health he eventually relinquished those duties, but of course he remained a royal.
Once again we got to communicating with each other from time to time. The relationship remained strong all the way to the end. Kofi moved home to Asokwa from Accra even though he had relinquished his chieftaincy and remained there until his sudden passing.
Kofi had a good illustrious life in his own way. He chartered his course in life and lived it. He was a very good friend to have, always selflessly offering of himself, always ready with his opinion and good advice. All of us, his family, his friends, especially the School of Admin B.Sc. class of 1973 mates, have lost a precious friend and brother. There will never be another Adom-B to tell a long story about. He has done his bit. “ONIPA B3 Y33 BI, WAMB3 Y3 NI NYINAA”. Now it is time for him to take a rest.
God be with him always.
Nante Yie, Kofi.
Y3 DA WO ASE.
June 2020.