Eulogy to the Late Mr. Joseph Owusu-Achaw

“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.”

Norman Cousins

"All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts”

William Shakespeare

Death--the last sleep? No, it is the final awakening.

Walter Scott

When I heard the sad news that Mr. Joseph Owusu-Achaw had passed away a few weeks ago, my first thought was that a light had just gone out in the world. I sat in stunned silence at my desk for a very long time thinking about the influence he had on my life over the past few years that we had met.

My first encounter with Mr. Joseph Owusu-Achaw was in 1994 while he worked for my mother-in-law as a consultant in Kumasi. Our paths crossed again when I was working for Jonik Communications. We became good friends and he shared his dreams with me. Dreams I thought were quite too ambitious at the time. He told me he had purchased a site in 1973 and wanted to build a world-class shopping mall in Ghana.

What amazed me most about this gentleman was his level of commitment and faith. He held onto his dream despite the challenges that have characterized Ghana’s economy over the years. Joseph was passionate about his dream and so nothing or no situation could shift his focus. He and his equally enthusiastic friends; Anthony Ward, Dominic Adu and others worked tirelessly day and night just to achieve their goal. Along the line, some of us who doubted him couldn’t help but to get convinced that this genius of a man was serious.

Today, his belief to have a first-class shopping centre is here for everyone to see. This edifice stands as a symbol and the pride of his life and it is here for generations yet unborn to experience. Families, young people, children and everybody enjoy world-class entertainment at the Accra Mall. The Accra Mall is not only for entertainment but for businesses as well. The centre has created employment for many people especially the youth in the country. Joseph was a blessing to his society.

My deepest pain is that he didn’t live to enjoy the fruit of his hard work and toil. He invested 30 years of his life and it would have been very gratifying for him to live a little longer to enjoy the fruits of his labour. But I’m consoled by the fact that Joseph continues to live on and will never be forgotten. He had lived a thousand times longer than the oldest living person ever recorded. His contribution to this country’s economy will forever be seen and recognised.

We at Silverbird are grateful to Joseph for standing and working with us to realize our dream of building a first-class entertainment centre in Accra. In his bigger dream, he made possible our smaller dream. We share in this loss and we sympathize deeply with his family especially Barbara, Ken, Derrick and Junior with whom we worked closely at the latter stages of opening the mall. May the good Lord console you in his own special way.

We are here because we care. We are here because our connection with Joseph was a deep connection based on friendship, love, trust, and understanding. And that can only happen with a treasured human spirit, with a spirit like Joseph.

In closing, I’d like to suggest something to you. Don’t mourn; don’t be sad. He wouldn’t have wanted that. Instead remember the good times: remember his laughter, remember his smile, and most importantly appreciate his works and be happy. He showed strength and commitment right up until his last days with us. His life tells us one thing; If one believes and is passionate about his dream, one can achieve it and make things happen.

Joseph, rest in peace.

Damire fa due!!!