A former President of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), Edward Yao Ameyibor, will be laid to rest on Friday, July 5, after a pre-burial service at the Tema Joint Church, Community 7, in Tema.
This will be followed by a private burial in keeping with his traditional status as a prince.
This was announced by Head of the Ameyibor Family, Torgbui Walter Ameyibor, in Accra.
The veteran journalist died at the Trust Hospital, Osu on, Monday, May 13, at the age of 76 after a short illness.
He will be laid in state at the Joint Church for colleagues, friends and family members to pay their last respects from 6:00 am to 8:00 am. This will be followed by the service and final funeral rites at the same venue.
The dress code for the funeral is Black and White for Friday, July 5 and White for the Thanksgiving Service on Sunday July 7, at the Tema Joint Church.
There shall not be any activity on the Saturday July 6, according to the families’ schedules.
The late Mr. Ameyibor, affectionately called (Oga) a tittle he picked while working as a GNA’s Lagos, Nigeria correspondent from October 1, 1963 to August 31, 2002, rose to the Chief Reporter grade with Special Duties on May 1, 1970.
He was Editor in May 1975, Senior Editor in February, 1981, Chief Editor in 1997 and Supervising Chief Editor in 2000, the highest grade in the Editorial Department, after the retirement of the late K.B. Wood.
He was also the General Manager of the Tamale-based Diamond FM and also a Media Consultant.
Until his death, he was the General Secretary of the SSNIT Pensioners Association and the Vice President of HelpAge Ghana.
Tributes have been sent from journalists across the country and beyond since his death, which invariably describe him as a “phenomenal person”, who devotedly mentored many young journalists with a great deal of passion and affability.
His patriotism, high regard for professionalism and ethics, as well as his rich sense of humour, which always served as a laudable asset for conflict resolution and peace building, have also been praised.
The Supervising Chief Editor of the GNA, Kwaku Osei Bonsu, said: “Oga played his part well. He was a true professional. Indeed, the inky fraternity has lost a strong pillar.”
GJA President, Roland Affail Monney, former GJA Presidents’, Ambassador Kabral Blay Amihere, Mrs. Gifty Affenyi Dadzie, and Ajoa Yeboah – Afari, have paid their tributes to the fallen giant of the inky fraternity. Also the Immediate Past Chairman of the National Media Commission, (NMC), Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng, Albert Sam, a member of the Board of the GNA, Cameron Duodu, a veteran journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. and many senior editors and journalists, also paid their tributes.
In the discharge of his duties, Orga travelled outside the country many times for seminars and conferences.
He also engineered a joint partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, now Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, on which they travelled around Ghana organising training programmes for journalists.
Oga also served two terms as the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).
He retired voluntarily in August, 2002, after serving GNA for 38 years. His letter to the Agency in respect of his voluntary retirement was a big blow to Management as he had one year left to attain the compulsory retiring age of 60.
Orga was, indeed, a manager of repute. Both young and old staff trooped to his office/house to seek his counsel on many issues.
An accomplished journalist, he left a legacy of forthrightness, truth, discipline and hard work. To those of us who worked with him, he was our hero.
He will forever be remembered as a man of peace, friendship and tolerance.
