I did menial jobs abroad - Abeiku Santana

Tourism Ambassador and radio personality, Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey Santana popularly known as Abeiku Santana, has disclosed why he took to smoking.

The multiple award winning radio host in an interview with Sokoohemaa, on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm said, he was shuffling from one country to the other in Europe in the bid to seek greener pastures.

According to him, in the year 2001, he left for Amsterdam to work in a meat factory where pork was manufactured and because he always felt nauseated, he took to smoking. ‘’I started smoking because I always felt nauseated working at the meat factory.’’

Mr. Santana who currently works with Accra based Okay Fm as Drive Time Host, chronicled the challenges he confronted when he travelled abroad to seek greener pastures. ‘’I went abroad in search of greener pastures. I wanted money. I went abroad through a connection and as a musician. I was washing dishes abroad. I worked as a cleaner whiles abroad. I sold my car and belongings and travelled abroad. I had to do menial jobs and also did my best to escape deportation,’’ he stated.

According to him, although he did not gain financially abroad, the common sense he gained during his stay abroad, has helped him to get where he is today.

Mr. Santana said upon his return to Ghana, he moved to Adom FM and helped engineered a number of programmes which are still running today. He worked for Adom FM for nine years and acting upon the voice of God, he left Adom FM where he helped transform to compete with other major stations.

Santana was born on 16 February 1977 in Koforidua in the Eastern Region of Ghana. He started his basic education in Koforidua at Nana Kwaku Boateng Experimental School.

He attended Secondary School at the Ordinary Level at Ghana National College, Cape Coast. At the Advanced level, he completed Ghana Secondary School in Koforidua. After his national service with National Archives, Public Records Department in 1996, he joined radio in 1997.

He recently graduated Masters In Tourism Management at University of Cape Coast (UCC). Aside being known as a radio presenter, Abeiku Santana who attended New York Paralegal School studied Litigation and Legal Studies. And that is just one of the numerous accolades affixed to his name when it comes to his educational background.

Global leadership training, USA conferred on him Excellence in Media Leadership for his exceptional accomplishment as a Broadcast Journalist and a Radio Presenter par excellence in the presence of H.L. Justice Mrs. Georgina T. Wood, Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana at the 7th More Than Conquerors West Africa Leadership Conference held in Accra.

Abeiku Santana holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration from GIMPA and he has been inducted into the Chartered institute of Marketing Ghana since 2008. He holds an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Pan African Bible Seminar.