SAMUEL ENNIN GOES HOME

THE BODY of Mr. Samuel Best Ennin, the enterprising and dynamic journalist whose life was snuffed out of him in a cruel, heartless and barbaric way by unknown assassins through gun shot, was at the weekend laid to rest at his hometown –Bribiwomanmu near Jakobu in the Amansie Central District of Ashanti.

Following the passion his death generated in the country, people from all walks of life, including President John Agyekum Kufuor, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament and representatives of some political parties as well as media practitioners and social commentators across the country, attended the funeral ceremony held in Kumasi.

Anguish and grief characterized the sorrowful occasion and became manifest in the faces of family members, colleague journalists, friends, sympathizers and well wishers who thronged the funeral ground as early as 6 a.m. on Saturday to express their condolences and pay their last respect to the sorely missed soul.

Tears flowed down the cheeks of many that filed past the mortal remains of the late Ennin, which was clad in black suit and a perfect tie to match.

Various tributes were read in his honour after Rev. Dr. Peter Boateng of Grace Bible Church preached the sermon that centred on death.

The Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) noted the demise of the 42-year old journalist as a natural disaster that is difficult to bear, especially, its unnatural occurrence and barbaric nature.
The Association described Chairman Ennin as a simply jolly good fellow who stood firmly against societal injustices and for advancement and development of Journalism in Ghana .

He also showed commitment and love for the work of journalism and pressed for the social upliftment of the poor and weak in society among others.

Chairman Ennin again was described by the Ashanti Regional Branch of the GJA as a quintessential tough journalist who always worked hard at illuminating the dark spots in the socio-political life of this country as well as the journalism profession.

“Ennin advertised his desire to be part of a new breed of journalists who were ready to challenge the rot and injustices in the society, using his pen as a weapon.”

He was said to have brought a lot of dynamism into the leadership of the Association, and always sought ways of making the regional branch financially sound.

Ayisi Boateng, a patron of the association cited the late Ennin as honest, articulate, dedicated and committed journalist who was slow to anger and an achiever in his own class.

According to him, his last encounter with the deceased was about a project Ennin had embarked on and sought his advice.

“We agreed to meet over the project at the end of January 2007. Little did I know that would be the last time our paths would cross”, Mr. Ayisi-Boateng stated.

Various forms of donations were presented to the bereaved family, wife and children from sympathizers. Some included a ¢10 million donation from President Kufuor, ¢10 million by New Patriotic Party (NPP), ¢10 million from Ghana Commercial Bank, ¢10 million from the Private Newspaper Publishers Association (PRINPAG) and ¢2 million from The Chronicle newspaper.