Tribute: Eulogy to the Late Mr. Joseph Owusu-Akyaw, Founder and Chief Promoter, Accra Mall

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts”
William Shakespeare
The news that Mr. Joseph Owusu-Akyaw had passed away hit me really hard ….. "The Nothingness of It All”, as King Solomon famously says in Proverbs, were the first words that came to me… I had seen Joseph struggle over the years to realize his dream, the establishment of an ultra-modern Shopping Mall in Accra and I just could neither comprehend nor accept how he could leave the scene barely two years after the realization of his dream. The same disbelief and shock struck numerous others fortunate to have made Joseph's acquaintance or to have been privileged to work with him as they learned of his passing.

My first encounter with Mr. Joseph Owusu-Akyaw was in 1994 when I chanced-upon him while he worked for my (now) Mother-in-Law as a Financial Consultant in Kumasi. Our paths crossed again in 2000 when I was exploring the possibility, with Johnnic Communications of South Africa, of establishing modern cinemas in Ghana and selected African countries. We became good friends and he shared his dreams with me. Dreams, that I thought were sometimes too quintessential and too ambitious for an economy like ours. He told me that he had purchased a site in 1973 and wanted to build a world-class Shopping Mall in Ghana that would host our cinemas.

What amazed me most about this Gentleman was his level of commitment and faith. He held on to his ideals and vision despite the challenges that have characterized Ghana's economy over the years. The majority of us would have sold that parcel of land and moved on, especially if one considers the financial difficulties that Joseph was experiencing at the time. Joseph was passionate about fulfilling his dream and as a result, nothing nor any negative situation could shift his focus. He and his equally enthusiastic promoters of the Accra Mall dream; Anthony Ward from (then) Johncom and now with Silverbird, Dominic Adu (now with Ghana Home Loans) and Dale Ramsden then with the Actis Fund and others worked tirelessly day and night to achieve their common goal. "Another door will open if one closes", was his mantra. Along the line, some of us who were getting tired of the processes and challenges couldn't help but marvel at Joseph's faith that one day the Mall would be a reality. I have never forgotten the day that Anthony and Joseph took me to the barren, disused, derelict site at the (then) Tetteh Quarshie Circle around 6.00PM, just before sunset and asked me to close my eyes and picture the Mall with its lights and people. From that moment, I became a student of Joseph's, determined to help him realize his ambitions. My self-appointed task was to convince my (then) Board (I was a member of the Johncom West Africa Board) to sign up as an anchor tenant which eventually persuaded the other anchor tenants, Game and Shoprite (also of South Africa) to sign up. This enabled Actis to partner with Joseph and the rest as the saying goes, is History .....

Today, his belief to have a modern shopping centre, with no expense spared, stands proud for everyone to see. This edifice stands as a symbol and the pride of his life and it is here for generations yet unborn to experience. Families, young people, children and everyone enjoy world-class products, shopping and entertainment at the Accra Mall which stands for the betterment of the quality-of-life of today's Ghanaian Citizen and has spawned countless new developments country-wide. The Accra Mall is not only for entertainment but for business as well. The centre has created employment for over 1200 people directly and about 5000 indirectly, especially the Youth in the country. Joseph was a blessing to Ghana, particularly the City of Accra.

My deepest pain is that he didn't live long enough to enjoy the fruits of his hard work and toil. He invested so many years of his Life in this project and it would have been very gratifying for him to live a little longer to enjoy the fruits of his labour. But I'm consoled by the fact that Joseph continues to live on and will never be forgotten. His contribution to this country's economy will forever be seen and recognized through the Accra Mall.

We at Silverbird Cinemas and Lifestyle Stores, are grateful to Joseph for standing and working with us to realize our goals of building a state-of-the-art entertainment centre in Accra. When Johncom, after all our collective efforts, pulled out of the investment (as a result of “Africa fatigue”), Joseph stood by us and encouraged us not to give up resulting in our partnership with Silverbird of Nigeria - a partnership which has since blossomed and expanded all over the Continent. In his bigger dream, he made possible our smaller dream, of providing first-rate entertainment to Ghanaians. We share in this loss deeply and sympathize with his family, especially, Alex Bruks, Barbara, Ken, Derrick and Junior with whom we have worked closely since the construction and opening of the Mall. May the Good Lord console you in his own special way.

We want to share our friendship with Joseph with you because he cared. Our connection with Joseph was a deep connection based on friendship, love, trust, the will to achieve and an understanding that if Ghanaians come together we can change our collective destinies.

To the family, do not mourn; do not be sad. He would not want that. Instead, remember the good times, remember his laughter, remember his smile, his gentle good-nature and most importantly, appreciate his good works and treasure those. He showed strength and commitment right up until his last days with us. His Life tells us one thing; that if one believes and is passionate about one's ideas, one can achieve them and make things happen.

Joseph, 'Rest in Peace' Joseph, 'Nantie Yie' Mr. Owusu-Akyaw, 'Sun Re O' , Joseph, 'Mwenyezi Mungu amlaze roho yake mahala pema peponi.'

Damirifa Due! Damirifa Due, due ne amanehunu!
Edward Boateng
Chairman of Silver Africa
On behalf of the Silverbird Group