Kojo Yankah @80: Celebrating my brother and mentor

By Kwesi Yankah

Last weekend was a great occasion for the Yankah family, celebrating our big brother, and overall mentor. Occasionally confused with my identity, Kojo Yankah was recently honored by the Institute of Public Relations as a Legend; but he has blazed the trail in several spheres of life: education, public relations, journalism, politics and Pan African heritage.

He is Former Director of Ghana Institute of Journalism, former Minister for Central Region, Former Minister for Ashanti region, Founder of African University of Communication and Business, Founder of the Pan-African Heritage Museum project, Founder of our family Magazine, Uhuru, of the 1990s and more. Over the weekend, the Yankah family along with children, associates, friends, relations, mentees held court to thank God, and celebrate a man who has impacted lives and touched hearts across the country and beyond.

It was a grand event, whose climax was the presentation of a unique local cake that trivializes western pageantry: an African cake of mashed yam—otor—ahead of a ceremonial procession led by kete dancers! Any attempt to summarize my own impressions of the celebrant at the event would be unfair. Let me rather lift an excerpt or two on our childhood days with Kojo as spilled in my Pen at Risk.

“Since boys ate from the same bowl in our childhood, it was routine practice for the Old Lady to apportion fish or meat according to seniority, and nicely arrange these along the rim of the big bowl, the biggest portion obviously earmarked for Kojo the senior. The main meal, fufu, plantain, yam, etc, was not similarly shared; and it became a question of ‘each one for himself and God for us all.’ Since an open race had been declared, it was in your own interest to demonstrate speed and aggression in the bowl, or else sleep on an empty stomach. Being the youngest, I could well have been the most helpless; yet Providence intervened and gifted me with the biggest belly among the threesome, also endowed with fairly sizeable morsels. The verdict was therefore obvious when it came to swallowing and holding the pounded stuff down the belly. Kojo the senior most was regretfully the smallest belly, and often suffered the consequences. Kofi, the middle player, was the overall king of the kitchen bowl: an all-round utility player….”

“Our father, I. B. had been the local chairman of the CPP/NAL several years before, and had done so with constrained enthusiasm. In the 1990s my uterine brother Kojo was part of the Rawlings’ NDC train, MP for Agona East, and at different times Minister for Central region, and Minister for Ashanti. Above all, the Old Lady before she passed often expressed frustration being mother of a Member Parliament whom she hardly saw, and had been virtually lost to the nation Ghana. The Old lady used to call him ‘Kojo Ghana.’ Kojo entered politics in his forties. At the time, my own quiet affiliation with the opposition NPP was no secret; and was occasionally exploited for mischief. This included the pressure to stand against my brother in a trap that was set to shred our linen in public.”

“1996, a mischievous journalist called Kwaku Sakyi Addo hatched a plot and nearly caused a head on collision in the studios of JOY FM. I got a call from Kwaku requesting me to appear on his programme ‘Front Page’ for a chat. I was then a lecturer in Legon, but also a columnist giving sleepless nights to Rawlings’ NDC. ‘The subject of the chat?’ I asked the ace broadcaster. ‘Oh just a general chat about politics,’ Kwaku lied. On the appointed day, I drove to JOY several minutes ahead of schedule, and whom did I see in the waiting room? My brother Kojo Yankah. My heart jumped. Kwaku had mischievously brought us to the Joy studios to fight each other! I nearly walked out protesting the ethics, but kept my cool. Kojo at the time was the NDC parliamentary candidate for Agona East; the NPP candidate was Ransford Yeboah (father of Dan Kweku Yeboah). Happily, we knew better and avoided the bait, carefully navigating our way out of national headlines. Kwaku did not give up. Just before he signed us off, he dropped the final bombshell. ‘Kwesi, the 1996 elections come off in a few weeks, whom are you going to vote for? Will you vote for your brother?’ I was jolted but kept my cool.”

“Ehmm Kwaku, happily, I don’t have a problem; my vote is at Legon, Ayawaso (West) constituency. I did not register to vote in Agona East, my brother’s constituency; I am voting in Accra.” Our host looked disappointed. The interview ended peacefully, and Kojo and I walked away without leaving blood stains in the studios of JOY FM.”

Brother Kojo, it’s been a momentous journey. You have touched our lives; and you deserve every compliment showered on this occasion.

We wish you a happy 80th, Kojo!

kyankah@ashesi.edu.gh