Celebrating Dzifa Bampoh

Dzi-dzi

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain – Bob Marley

Recent news of Dzifa Bampoh’s winning RTP’s Radio Newscaster of the Year hit me like sweet reggae music; painless, satisfying and with profound vicarious relish.

In more ways than one, Dzifa deserved this. With over a decade of professional practice under her wings from Ghana radio/television and transiting upwards in terms of professional demands into Joy FM studios, Dzifa has come to represent that fine uncommon mix of eloquence, professionalism and panache. Extremely professional in her work, those that have had the privilege of dealing with Dzifa have commented on her admirable sense of fairness and objectivity.

For purposes of putting this piece in perspective, perhaps now is a good time to declare my biases in celebrating Dzifa. For Dzifa if nothing at all, is an old friend of whom I remain most fond. It was I who nicknamed her Dzi-dzi in Achimota, in the time before David Bampo-rized the Gbeho! This account will thus simultaneously be personal and official, however that may be. This is because since leaving school, I have also had opportunity to deal with Dzi-dzi formally in her capacity as a radio journalist and in mine as a leader of professional trade unionism.

Dzi-dzi’s tone has always been that of respect, courtesy and politeness – admirable features which have deceptively belied her persistence and determination to unravel the truth and expose discrepancies if any. Dzi-dzi is that thorough-bred journalist who probes unyieldingly without giving you the slightest impression it is your eventual destruction and public disgrace she seeks. She is certainly not one of those that go to interview without doing a thorough background check of her prey. Where the answers are not forthcoming fast, thick and coherent, Dzi-dzi will get you entangled in your words with her sheer intelligence.

One day, some of her colleagues commented on this, additionally describing her as too soft. They wanted her to be a little bit more pushy and aggressive. But that was not her style. There were times, especially in the early days when others questioned her professional capabilities, her career advancement/progression considered. Despite not explicitly confirming this to me, I suspect a rivalry of sorts between GIJ-trained journalists and those like Dzi-dzi who did their first degree, did a lot of professional broadcast training at the Ghana Broad casting Corporation and then proceeded to complete their Masters in Mass Communication.

Today, with this award, I am convinced that Dzi-dzi has clearly distinguished herself before her peers.

Maybe Dzi-dzi is fortunate to be plying her trade in her field of training; mass communications. I cannot fail to notice however that her core competence as a journalist or what some may call her unique selling proposition happens to be a talent and a quality that I noticed as far back as Achimota. Every day as I have watched successful people, I am always tempted to lose hope in formal training and course work and to put more premium in enhancing the talents and inherent abilities of people.

I know doctors whose bread is buttered by their IT skills and the mega contracts flowing there from. I know managers in big corporates whose drive remains their entrepreneurial abilities.

What did I see in Dzifa in Achimota? For purposes of obviating talking about myself, let us just say that certain roles and responsibilities were thrust upon the son of man such that on any good morning, I could be called upon suddenly to make an impromptu off the cuff speech to a 1500 member student body. Many times, I did my best. Sometimes, I would be totally overwhelmed. I would then approach the extremely well spoken, debonair and well travelled Dzifa Gbeho.

“Dzi-dzi, you have to help me. It is about five minutes to time and the schedule speaker has still not shown up.” We would toss and turn many topics in a rapid fire brainstorming session. Eventually, Dzifa would settle on a topic. And then she would deliver the kind of speech that made me wonder whether she had not known all along that my scheduled speaker was not coming. Till today, whenever I hear Dzifa Bampoh steering Joy FM’s News night with calm dexterity, it is difficult not to hear Dzi-dzi giving a Monday morning courtesy talk on table manners in Aggrey Chapel.

Despite not having ever mentioned it to her, I have always wondered what kind of upbringing Dzi-dzi had, how she came to be so knowledgeable and what impact a well travelled life had made. In Achimota, talking to Dzifa always left me with the distinct impression that here was someone operating at another level, perhaps aware of a larger world out there some of us only dreamt of. I also wondered how this could simultaneously be achieved while remaining real, down to earth and unpretentious.

It would be difficult if not impossible for anyone to convince me that it is not the same intelligence, eloquence and public speaking abilities nursed and developed in the days of yore that Dzi-dzi employs in what she pretends is her work today.

Today, I celebrate my friend and wish her God speed in the battles ahead. We are proud of you and we love you.

More awards will follow. Anon!

Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey

Visit writer’s blog @ www.sodzisodzi.com