My father; I vividly could remember when I could think, observe and relate thoughts around me, you were the only one I knew to be responsible for me, apart from my grandma; your mother. You demonstrated to me that fatherhood goes beyond giving sperm as your contribution for a child to be born.
When I reflect on the stories surrounding my birth, I know you knew “a father’s responsibility starts from the very day the news is broken to you that a child is conceived.” In your mind, you knew very well that, ‘you must stand and defend even your unborn baby’. You truly defended me in my mother’s worm, because I was a worthy precious child to you before I was born; and you knew all life betters.
Efo: my father you knew training a child ‘the way he should go’ is the duty of a father. I could remember, even though I was not with you, when I was going to school, you left your work, came to Saviefe Gbogame, held my tinny hands, and took me to school. You monitored my progress in school and realizing that my school environment could not help me achieve the educational, career, and personal development dreams you foresaw, you decided to take me to yourself Kadjebi. I could remember the saddest moments in my grandmother’s life when she had to leave me with you and go back to Saviefe in tears. You empathized with your mother, but my education was paramount to you, and in your statement to me later, you wanted to monitor my academic progress and give me the best guidance in school.
In my schooling, I had initial learning difficulties, but you never gave up on me. You encouraged me to put in my best. You taught me how to draw, I never knew you were teaching me relational learning; what a concerned and caring father. As a committed father when I completed middle school, you realized, the vocation, I wanted to go into was not in my best interest, you counseled me and recommended I should go back to Junior Secondary School. I thank God I listened to your good counsels, and I thank God for Mr. Ernest Amu and Mr. N.D. Meddie for their supports throughout my JSS days.
Indeed, you are a father who knew even though you could not achieve your educational goals, your children could achieve them, with your fervent and infringing supports. When I completed JSS with distinctions, it was a great joy for you and I could still imagine the broad smiles on your face and your excitement. Your advice to me when I went to Senior Secondary School, is still fresh in my mind: “Agbee I send you to school not to join a bad company. Remember I don’t have a land to give you, but your education is the inheritance am giving to you, and… when you study hard you can buy whatever piece of land you want.” This I can say is one of the greatest pieces of advice a loving father can give to his children.
Today, I can say your counsels paid off, your tears on a university campus that “I wish one day one of my children will attend this university has come through”. Your first; my brother Senyo attended the University of Education, Wenniba, and had his Masters; thanks to God I had my Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Ghana and battling with my Masters Education due to my adventures. In fact, with the happiness I saw in your face when I had distinctions in my basic school results, I know you are a happy man up there for the little we have achieved academically. Some might wonder why I dedicate or acknowledge you in all my books, and this is my answer: “My father is the Plato in my Aristotle story”; my life story can never be told without him.
Efo I celebrate you as a father, who had the interest of your children at heart, and when I hear some women speak as if all men are irresponsible, it pains my heart, because I know the sufferings you went through as a father to bring us up. But well I only say to myself, maybe it is/was their irresponsible fathers, and but not my father was very responsible. You were there for me in thick and thin; in my happy and saddest moments. You never gave up on me when things went wrong; you encouraged me when the need be, advised, and also punished me for correction, when necessary. Thus you train us in the way we should go so that when we grow, we will not depart from it.
Today I eulogize you as the greatest father I have ever known; and if am going to compare good fathers then this is my comparison: there are two great-fathers in the whole wide world; My father Godfried A. Fudzi and others, hahaha. I say to you my father: you are the best of the best and there is none like you. Efo Rest Well, Rest in Perfect Peace. I love you very much, I am grateful for all you have done for me. Once again, rest well.
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