Komla Dumor's mortal remains arrive home

Accra, Feb. 04, GNA - There was a sombre mood at the forecourt of the VVIP lounge Monday evening as chiefs of Aflao, family, friends and the media gathered to receive the remains of Komla Afeke Dumor, a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Journalist.

A cultural troupe sang dirges in Ewe amidst traditional dances symbolizing the grief and pain of the family and the nation as a whole.

The casket, containing the mortal remains, arrived at the Kotoka International Airport on a British Airways flight at about 2030 hours, draped in Kente.

It was carried by pall-bearers from the aircraft to the forecourt of the VVIP lounge where it was handed over to the Aflao State Royal Guards.

Traditional rites were then performed and libations poured to welcome and accept the remains of Komla, who was a Youth Development Chief of the Aflao State, before it was officially handed over to Togbui Amenya Fiti V, Paramount Chief of Aflao.

Torgbui Fiti then prayed over the coffin, welcoming Komla back home on behalf of the Aflao State and Ghana at a ceremony attended by his father, Professor Ernest Dumor, his siblings, Mawuena and Korshie, as well as friends and sympathisers.

Christian prayers were also said by the clergy, led by Father Samuel Filton-Mensah of the Accra Catholic Archdiocese.

Ms Esther Cobbah, CEO of StratComm Africa and Spokesperson of the Dumor and allied families, thanked Ghanaians and the media fraternity for their support and prayers for Komla's family since his death.

Ms Cobbah urged journalists to discharge their duties with professionalism for the world to realise that the qualities exhibited by Komla in his work was characteristic of African journalists.

Dignitaries at the airport included Mr Prosper Bani, Chief of Staff who represented President John Dramani Mahama, Mrs Dzifa Gomashie, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Chief Protocol Officer of the Aflao Traditional Area, Mrs

Dzifa Attivor, Minister of Transport and her deputy, Mrs Joyce Bawa Mugtari, Mr Fiifi Kwettey, Member of Parliament for Ketu South and a Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Herbert Mensah and Mr Victor Gbeho.

Komla Dumor died suddenly in his home in London on Saturday, January 18, at age 41, after a cardiac arrest.

Dumor was a presenter for BBC World News and its Focus on Africa programme. He joined the BBC as a radio broadcaster in 2007 after a decade of journalism at Joy FM in Ghana.

He featured in the New African Magazine's November 2013 list of 100 most influential Africans which said 'he had established himself as one of the emerging African faces of global broadcasting," who had "considerable influence on how the continent is covered".

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Ghana, and had a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the Harvard University.

He won the Ghana Journalist of the Year Award in 2003 before joining the BBC.

Until 2009 he was the host of Network Africa for BBC World Service and later The World Today Programme.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs Kwansema Dumor, and three children.

GNA