Celebrating Cameron Duodu at 88 (1)

The veteran journalist Cameron Duodu turns 88 years old today, 24 May.

This is someone whose writings I have admired for almost sixty (60) years. It did not come as a surprise when he was honoured by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on World Press Freedom Day 2025.

He contributes columns to the Ghanaian Times and the Daily Guide, among others, regularly. When I was a law student at the University of Ghana in the early 1970s I had the privilege of serving on a three-member studio panel of the then external service of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). The discussions were followed by listeners in many parts of Africa. It was a joy and a learning experience to listen to the erudition of Cameron Duodu who was on that panel. The third member was Ray Kakraba-Quashie.

I paid a visit to Cameron Duodu at his Accra residence earlier in the week, and as can be expected, I came away inspired to keep on writing. He is as passionate as ever in his call on the national conscience to deal with the evil of galamsey decisively. He repeated his call on leaders at all levels, especially at the traditional, to rally their communities to preserve the wholeness of the life giving rivers and water bodies inherited from our forebears. Wɔnfrɛ wo Opanyin kwa, Wonfrɛ so Ohene kwa, meaning it is not for nothing that you are recognised as a Leader or a Chief! Leaders should lead in the right direction, he repeated.

To be continued tomorrow