GN Bank Award’s Best Comedian of the Year, Baba Spirit, has added his voice to the call by some family members of the late celebrated comedian Samuel Kwadwo Buabeng aka Bob Okala, to give him a state burial.
Speaking to Flex newspaper, Baba Spirit said that Bob Okala is one of the great comedians the country has ever had and that if Ghanaians really respect the arts, a state burial for him is befitting.
“When I was young, I watched Okala and took inspiration from him. He has entertained the country. He has helped people to release stress and forget about their worries. People who make you laugh save your life by some microseconds. So he deserved that state burial. Let’s honour people like these because they have also contributed to the building of the nation,” he said.
When asked what his reaction would be if Bob Okala is not given a state burial, he said: “I will be very disappointed. It would mean that our leaders don’t think about creative arts people but only themselves.”
Bob Okala died on 12th March 2016 at the Koforidua Regional Hospital shortly after he had performed at a show organized by Joy Daddy Multimedia in Koforidua at Jackson’s Park in Koforidua. His funeral is slated for 6&7 May, 2016 at the Arts Centre in Accra.