As tributes pour in for the late Kwadwo Asare-Baffour Acheampong (KABA) following his sudden demise on Saturday November 18, Programmes Manager of Hitz FM, Mark Okraku Mantey in heartening words for the grieving family says ‘KABA is still with us’.
Mr. Okraku Mantey recounting his last moments with the deceased said, he noticed something quite unusual about him as he was not his typical lively and responsive self a day before his death.
“On Friday as usual, I would disturb him before he goes home, I was at the reception and then I saw the KumKum Baghya team on TV and so as usual I’ll say that ‘could you connect me with one of them?’ knowing when I say that, KABA will react…unfortunately on that particular day he did not respond and so to get his attention, I asked him, ‘KABA, wotee nia mekay3 no anaa?’ and then he said ‘mante’ – [to mean, I didn’t hear], that was his last line to me ‘wante’,” he recounted.
He described KABA as an affable person whose kindness was one ‘out of the earth’; ‘He is the only person who would chase you just to give you money just to show his love’, he narrated.
In comforting words, Mr. Okraku Mantey said that though hope is the only assurance that KABA ‘will be in a good place’ when his soul finally goes to rest, the bereaved should take solace in the fact that ‘he is still with us until the D-day’.
He was paying tribute to the deceased on behalf of the Hitz FM crew of The Multimedia Group during KABA’s memorial service held at the forecourt of Joy FM on Monday November 20, 2017.
KABA died Saturday morning at the Korle Bu Teaching after a short illness.
He was 37 years old. He was until his demise, the host of ‘Ekosii Sen’ on The Multimedia Group’s Asempa FM.
He left behind a wife and a daughter. Many, following his death have poured out tributes and eulogized the broadcaster who in many ways contributed significantly to journalism and development in the country.
Prominent among those who have expressed their heartfelt condolences are President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Former President John Dramani Mahama.
Profile
KABA joined Asempa FM in 2008 as a service provider and became full time in August 2009. Prior to joining the Multimedia Group, KABA had worked with Top Radio from 2004-2008.
KABA trained as a teacher at the University of Cape Coast after which he moved to the Ghana Institute of Journalism for Communications Studies.
He later enrolled at the University of Ghana to study Political Science. KABA had also hosted Adom TV’s Morning Show ‘Badwam’ on Multi TV.
The ace broadcaster was among a group of selected senior journalists who joined the president at the Flagstaff House this year to ask him questions about critical national issues.
KABA married Valentina Ofori Afriyie in June 2016, a staff of Accra-based Class FM, who had moved from Radio Gold.
