Murdered 'Jirapa Dubai' CEO brought modernity and dignity to Jirapa - Prof. McBagonluri

Tributes have begun pouring in following the death of an astute businessman and owner of the Royal Cosy Hills Hotel( nicknamed Jirapa Dubai) in Jirapa in the Upper West Region.

Mr Eric Johnson, who was a widely respected business mogul and hotelier, was allegedly murdered by stabbing in one of the rooms of his hotel on Saturday, February 10, 2024.

According to a police report on the alleged murder, one person has been picked up and detained on suspicion of playing a role in the killing of Mr Eric Johnson.

In a tribute, Fred McBagonluri, an award-winning engineer, inventor and President of the Academic City University College, praised Mr Eric Johnson for bringing dignity and modernity to Jirapa.

“Eric Johnson was murdered this weekend. Eric was an astute and humble businessman. He was a bright light in a region where there was no major non-government employment. With Jirapa Dubai, he sought to bring both modernity and dignity to his people. He remembered everyone. Perhaps, one of the few people I have met that didn’t require a second introduction. His quiet manners overshadowed his determination to transform a stony, patched dry, desolate land into a thriving metropolis.

"He was a man of ideas unconstrained by impediments: artificial or otherwise. His business knowledge was broad and informed. He was an avid listener. With his slender hands folded on his chest and head nodding attentively, he was an embodiment of a Dagao at his finest. An enthusiastic guide through the corridors of his hotel and out on his budding safari, Eric’s unassuming frame didn’t readily lend to his unwavering determination and boldness. We have lost a visionary in the true sense of the word. I grief. I grief,” he wrote.

Many other persons have posted heartfelt condolence messages and tributes following the confirmation of Mr Eric Johnson’s murder.

The Royal Cosy Hills Hotel has become a major marketing point for the Jirapa Municipality and the Upper West as a whole. Mr Johnson’s killing has come as a shock to many.