Where is Charles Kofi Wayo?

As a young boy in the early to late 90s, one person that made a huge impression on me and many of my peers, was Charles Kofi Wayo.

Watching him on Kweku-One-On-One, a show hosted by Kweku Sekyi Addo, we admired everything about him. In those days Ghana Television (GTV), was the only television station in the country.

We did not have the luxury of choice, as it is today. Although, our choice was limited, we learnt a lot from educative programmes, and not charlatans taking over television stations today, including Mallams, promising to make people rich.

The first time I watched Kofi Wayo, affectionately called Chuck, he gifted Kweku Sekyi-Addo, a watch and boasted about how much it cost.

I saw him as richer than Bill Gates back them; to me he was the richest man on earth, because the man can run his mouth.

He had his trademark, and that is his Cigar and his cowboy hat, he didn’t care whether it was a television studio, radio station, or in the street of Accra, he always carried with him his cigar and wore his hat.

A returnee, who did not give a hoot about the former president, Jerry John Rawlings, who was feared by all.

He exploded onto the scene, Jerry Rawlings was the president of the Republic.

Tales of Rawlings being vindictive, unforgiving, strike fear into the hearts of many Ghanaians, but not Kofi Way. He took him and his regime on, he didn’t hold back, he was fearless and became a household name.

Kofi Wayo, took over the airwaves from GTV to the few radio stations in the country back then, doing what most returnees do, calling all of us stupid and insisting we have allowed our leaders to run riot for long.

The end it is said, justifies the means, it came as no surprise to some of us, when he quickly mounted the stage, wearing the colours of the New Patriotic Party.

His utterances and ranting found favour with the NPP and so he was invited into their fold in the 2000 General elections, Kofi Wayo, contested on the ticket of the NPP as its parliamentary candidate for the Ayawaso East Constituency.

Ayawaso East because Kofi Wayo, was born and bred in Nima, before leaving the shores of Ghana for the United states of America, where he spent over forty years.

Although, Kofi Wayo lost the parliamentary contest to the National Democratic Congress’s candidate, Dr. Mustapha Ahmed, with less than one percent of the valid votes cast, the NPP won the presidential election to form the next government.

Kofi Wayo fell out with the NPP, over allegations that, the party he supported had become corrupt. He did not fold his arms, but rather went to town, accusing President John Agyekum Kufuor and his government of corrupt activities. They was another school of thought, that says, Kofi Wayo, was denied the request to head the Volta River Authourity.

After the 2000 elections, decamped to the People’s National Convention (PNC) in 2004, when he contested for the party’s flagbearership, losing to Dr Edward Nasigiri Mahama, the Chicago-trained gynecologist.

After the 2004 elections, he quit PNC, accusing the leadership of embezzlement of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) fund for political parties

He announced forming his own political party after the 2004 elections, United Renaissance Party (URP), was birthed.

The party failed to make any meaningful impact and inroads in our democratic journey.

In the lead up to the 2008 general elections, Kofi Wayo joined the National Democratic Congress (NDC). the NDC won that election, after the second round of voting.

He started his pilgrimage into political oblivion and wilderness after the 2008 election. Kofi Wayo, has always had his eyes on VRA. On several occasions and forums, he has indicated that, he is the only one who can turn around the fortunes of the company.

After helping the NDC to win the 2008 elections, another attempt was made to have the Prof. John Evans Atta Mills government, hand over the state institution to him.

The government resisted the call and that marked the beginning of his march towards political oblivion.

Kofi Wayo, who is always in the news for so many reasons, strangely is hardly heard these days. My surprise is that, Mr Wayo, likes publicity. He cannot stay away from the limelight.

The last time I read about him, it is reported that, he is quitting politics for farming. Following the trajectory of his political life, it is obvious, Kofi Wayo failed.

I hope that, farming would serve him better than politics.