Ghana, 2023. That’s going to punch some year.
After Lennox had won his title fight with Tyson, through his close confident and personal manager Junior, he expressed a desire to visit Ghana.
The Ghanaians in his team, and I’d temporarily joined as his video journalist/ photographer/ web promo maker, recognised in travelling to Ghana it would be a matter of etiquette, you might even say tradition, to pay respect to the Ghana High Commission.
Over the years I’d come to know the Commission quite well. I’d first been invited in the 90s to their annual get together to meet David, also a Ghanaian. David was then a 19-year-old wunderkid who singlehandedly rescued a UK company from calamity when their procurement-sales order software had teething problems — and Christmas was looming.
Top flight UK software consultancies gave an estimate of how long it would take and how much it would cost. None would do. When someone recommended David, then in school, it was a last ditch attempt. In a matter of weeks, actually days, he solved their crisis. Small wonder he drove a top of the range sports car.
Other occasions include when we relaunched Breakfast TV in Ghana. My exec producer was Edward Boateng, who headed up Turner in Africa, and years later would become the Ambassador to China.
Back to Lennox. It was a couple of months of negotiating because of H.E Mr Isaac Osei’s diary. The High Commissioner was one of those public figures who knew how to make you feel welcomed. That Clintonesque thing — eyes and attention focused on you alone.
I remember once travelling early morning through Schiphol airport.The airport was practically empty, and as I walked the concourse who should I bump into but Mr Osei.
HC: Oh Mr Gyimah, what are you doing here?
Me: Me? Oh just passing through. But may I ask the same thing of you Mr High Commissioner and you’re on your own.
HC: Oh I’m just on my way to a meeting…. ( we chatted for about 5 mins thereafter).
At the HC in London, Mr Osei spoke about what the visit would mean to Ghanaians, and how it’s almost tradition. In 1964 Muhammad Ali visited Ghana proclaiming it as a return to the fatherland.
I took many photos, some of them here; both Champ ( Lennox Lewis) and the Commissioner team were happy and years later would visit one of the boxing gyms in Accra where Lennox visit was an inspiration.
Over the years at functions at Chatham House I’ve had the opportunity of meeting Ghanaian officials exchanging social, education and commerce ideas and was honoured on one of their polls when I was mentioned as one of the top 60 influential Ghanaians abroad.
2023 will be a busy year for Ghana. I’m buoyed by all sorts of ideas that are landing. Their year of return was a huge success. And I know of several uplifting global mega projects in the works. Tech-Education-Commerce is the key. Ghana occupies a special place on the continent and I’m looking forward to building new and old alliances.
