The Kojo Ellimah who inspired me in the Taxi

By Emmanuel Agyemfra Boateng

I first read about him in the Graphic Mirror, when he graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)with a MSc in Development planning, somewhere in 2005 or 2006.I was then in Form 1 and what challenged me more, was when I read he was an old boy of my school!

After that story in the Graphic Mirror, I did all what I can to meet him one on one.

After Senior High School, I started listening to him on Shaft FM, a local radio station in Obuasi Whenever the host of the Morning show mentions his name as part of the panelist, nothing will take me away from my radio set.

I latter got to know my good faceless friend was also an astute Journalist and a Public Relations gem from Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ)and have been practicing for years before entering KNUST to do his Masters in Planning.

After almost 6years of reading that sensational story about the man who have never stopped changing lives, the time came for us to revive our defunct old students’ Association of my alma mater. I was part of the team who were reorganizing the Association, so I had to make calls to contacts we’ve never met or seen before.

I had the contact of my good friend; I called him one hot Wednesday afternoon, his Ever Sheen Cocoa butter voice made me think I was speaking to white lady mistakenly! So I had to ask again, please I’m i speaking to Mr. Richard Ellimah, and the soothing voice came again, yes.

The Taxi Inspiration

After the introduction, he asked me to meet him at a popular Super Mart in Obuasi, Liz Mart Shopping center at exactly 2pm, I sneaked out of my duty post and went there at 1:30pm and waited till 2:10pm.

He called and said he was around, I became a bit nervous. I went close to the Taxi and he asked me to sit at the back and have a chat with him.

The guy was humble. He asked me, what I was doing I told him I was reading Journalism and he was like which field do you want to go, I hurriedly said, Radio! He asked with a giggle, why Radio? I was foolishly silent for some minute till he came in.

Kojo Ellimah looked at me and said something about not following the crowd in another way, he said, “why are you young people always rushing to be on radio, try and also learn to write”

At the time of our meeting he had just returned from Europe, and the first person he met in town before going to his residence was me!

Kojo Ellimah, asked me to write more and do the radio alongside. Before I met him, I have never scribbled even an essay for publication. He told me a lot about himself that moved me till today.

He was the reason I had my first Letter to the Editor, published in the best weekend newspaper in Ghana, Graphic Mirror.

Are you on Facebook?

Before I met Kojo Ellimah in 2011, I was then not on Facebook and it wasn’t because of anything, just that I said, was not ready for that.

When I was about taking my leave, he asked, Emmanuel, are you on Facebook? i said no sir! He asked me to be there and he was going to personally guide me through. When I got to my work place, called Nelly, a friend to come help me create a Facebook account and that night I was on planet Facebook. Thanks to Kojo Ellimah

This is a gentleman, I knew not from Adam, but he came into my life and has succeeded through the grace of God to polish me to what I am today.

Celebrating a living Legend

After the demise of ace broadcaster, Komla Dumor in 2014, tributes upon tributes have been pouring out and I ask myself, where were all these words of praise and pampering when the Boss Player was alive.

When the Boss Player was alive, I never read anywhere of someone praising him for helping him or her polish his radio skills or writing skills. But all the thank you messages started flowing when the gentleman joined his ancestors.

This gentleman I celebrate today is alive and very healthy, I write this piece to let the world know, God through someone made me what I am today, that you cherish so much.

Family members wouldn’t even give me all this time to read such a long tribute which he won’t hear when he joins the heavenly choir.

So the best thing to do is let your mentor or role model know you appreciate whatever he or she has contributed to make you what you are today.

As I write, Mr. Richard Kojo Ellimah, among his numerous positions is also the President for Christ the King Catholic Senior high school old students’ Association in Obuasi. I am honored to be his Organizing Secretary.