TO THE PASSING SOUL OF MR.PETER KWAKU ABBAN.

“Death ids the road we all have to take-over the bridge of signs into eternity “Soren Kierkegaard[1813-1855]Danish Philosopher.

“It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives. The act of dying is not important, it lasts so short a time” Samuel Johnson[1709-1784British Lexicographer.

“What a bad news for me this morning. Does it mean that Mr.Peter Kwaku Abban has been reported dead? That was the question I asked myself at 5:30 a.m.Canadian time on March 5, 2010 Ghana time 10:30a.m..

Still in shock after reading the headline on Joy F.M webpage with credit to Mr.Edmond Quaynor,Tribute to the late Mr.Peter Abban,I quickly scrolled down the full text of the story as I was in disbelieve that Mr.Peter Abban was really dead.

Throughout that day, both at work and back home even on the buses to and from work I remained quiet as I tried to recall one of the happiest moments I enjoyed with the senior journalist at Koforidua before relocating to Toronto-Canada.

It was because of his humility ,respect, trust, honesty and dedication to the journalism profession, his contributions to the print media especially and because of the part he played in helping budding journalists who were being trained on the job and needed experience, I felt the sudden passing of Mr.Peter Abban deserve notice.

Mr.Peter Abban a.k.a. Papa Pee,as we used to call him, was with the Ghanaian Times when I first met him and it was to double my facts with him as budding journalist under the tutorage of ace journalist Mr.A.C.Ohene at the Koforidua office of the chronicle newspaper.

Because my regional editor Mr.A.C.Ohene,did not want “he said, he said” stories or half baked stories, I decided to double cross check my facts from Papa Pee,before going to file my reports for editing then onward submission to headquarters for publication.

He was always ready to offer a hand to both junior and senior reporters who wanted to double cross check facts with him or seek his advice as to how to deal with a story. Before assignments were over he would have drawn his colleague reporters attention to flaws in speeches and the need to cut them out in our reportage in order not to court troubles for ourselves as well as showing new comers how to deal with politicians.

I had always been a fan of Mr. Peter Abban.I appreciated his wit, eloquent essays and unassuming manner. It was greatly amused at the way he supported the New Patriotic Party[NPP]but never skewed stories to support the party he loved most or lambasted the NDC party that he did not sympathize with. In fact he was a friend to NPP,NDC,CPP,DFP,GCPP and PNCactivists everywhere he met them.

Papa Pee,never got angry with any member even at a point when one has offended, he will crack jokes and use it to defuse tension saying” never do that again because I can be your father okay”

He was always remembered for the series of jokes he shared with us especially the one that a chief linguist suffered the difficulty when he attempted to address the first president of the republic of Ghana Dr.Kwame Nkrumah using his title “Osaagyefo' fumbled several times. According to him, the linguist ended up creating more titles out of the original one for the president as he said”ofoogyefo eh,fosaayefo eh,gyefoosafo eh,ogyeefosa eh,ofoogysa eh,sagyefose eh” and with much seriousness can joke with that for more than thirty minutes only to see members laughing their hearts out.

As he retired from active service with the Ghanaian Times, his good works earn him another job at the Statesman newspaper as the Eastern Regional correspondent where he contributed further to the media landscape throughout the region.

Mr.Peter Abban was more fit at his age over 70 years and was going to every part of the region for stories so I was shocked to hear his sudden passing without seriously being ill. His death was a shock to me and I fear his unique class of reporting the news

Will never be duplicated. That is the way it should be.

I appreciated Mr.Peter Abban as tens of journalists in Koforidua and for that matter Ghana did and am grateful to god for the days I spent with such a gracious and natural gentleman.

Finally, with a saying from an English Poet Edmond Spencer[1552-1599]”Sleep after toil, port after stormy seas ease, death after life does greatly please”, I will like to say Mr.Peter Abban,has conquered death which he tought and find it least of all evils and now resting with past members like Mr.Joshua Adu Yaw,Mr.S.K.Akoto and Mr. Thomas Brentuo in the bosom of the almighty lord.

May your soul rest in peace.
Stephen A.Quaye,Toronto-Canada,
Teemagi2003@yahoo.com

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