Komla Dumor-The Journalistic Prophet

By Rashidi Ogunmola

Lecturer, African University College of Communications

It’s been a year since Komla Afeke Dumor made his transit from the state of physical existence to the state of mental existence. Suddenly, January 18, 2014 seems like yesterday or just the other time. The shock, pain, disappointment, and grief caused by his transition gradually gave way to appreciation and admiration of his achievements during the short period given him to live on earth. Correspondingly, his memory has been honourably celebrated with BBC recently launching the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award. The African University College of Communications is also set to launch the Komla Dumor Training Centre for Broadcast Journalsim later this year. However, the critical question is: have we found another Komla Dumor yet?

There certainly can be no two Komla Afeke Dumors. He was who he was: the light which lit African journalism via the electronic media globally, courtesy of the BBC, acknowledged. In terms of the persona we know that even twins remain identically different. Both live individually, follow different dreams and never end their lives in a similar manner. Komla was born into this world to make a difference and he made it. He was made to show the way in African journalism and he achieved that, by dint of hard work, self-denial fortified by a strength of an unrelenting will, which loomed larger his capacity all along.

Komla is a Prophet. One main aspect of prophecy is to bring about change. In the normal sense of the word, it is only given through the medium of speech or writing. But in Komla’s case, it was given in embodiment. Komla embodied the change that African journalism needed at the time when he appeared on the scene. He was never trained a journalist. On the way to becoming a Medical Doctor, the Maker saw in him the requisite character in practicing journalism: remaining true to the story one tells.

Komla showed that making it in the field of journalism requires burning of the candle at both ends in all sincerity. Peter Okwoche had this to say of him: “he [Komla] believed that the African story should be told in its entirety…” by Africans as President Nkrumah insisted in his time and rankles on. Regrettably, that kind of attitude or self-belief is lacking among African journalists today.

This is yet to be grasped, because Komla wrote no memoir, and no one can ever blame him for that; because he was human and if only he had more time to live… But in appreciating his achievements during this short time, one could easily conclude that this was a man who loved his continent and his people, and would never give anything in exchange for them.

Quiet puzzling, his advent onto the world stage was a novelty and too many of us are coward to dare to do what we usually say we’ve never done it before and not in this way. We hardly knock on any door for opportunities, and we are quick to bemoan lack of opportunity at every opportunity we are given to prove ourselves. Komla grabbed the opportunity offered by Joy FM in 1998 and made most use of it. One’s own initiative and determination count in journalism; this is the prophetic message Komla communicated through his life as he developed and matured into a professional par excellence.

However, it is important to note here that one is not trying to insinuate that there is no one who could replace Komla. One is simply remarking that people are still not daring enough. Fortunately, there are brains that have nurtured Komla in one way or the other, and these brains would still want to nurture anyone who will dare to dare enough.

Among the many actions taken to commemorate Komla Afeke Dumor, one will not be far from the truth by stating that a training centre would best help both to preserve and to pass on his legacy. The President of African University College of Communications, Professor Kojo Yankah, has moved to establish a centre in his memory: “The Komla Dumor Centre for Broadcast Journalism”. Professor Ernest Dumor, as the Chairman of this Centre, and as a father, will be alacritous to inculcate in the trainees of this Centre the virtue that made of Komla the “leading light of African journalism” of his generation.

Gone forever Komla is. But death could not hold his “memoir” captive. He had lived and fulfilled his purpose, and as a Prophet, his life continues to convict some for change and nudge up others to strike initiatives. Live not because you were born and die not because you must die, live because you are determined to leave a mark and death will be ashamed when it comes for you, because you have achieved your purpose and were ready for it anyway.

Your “memoir” lives on, Komla!