Ghanaians across the country have expressed shock at the untimely demise of multi-talented journalist and broadcaster, Joseph Kwadwo Asare-Baffour Acheampong of Asempa 94.7 FM.
KABA, as he is passionately called by his admirers, petered out last Saturday, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, following a short illness.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a tweet said he is grieving with the family of the late broadcast.
He expressed condolences to the family, lamenting that the news came as a shock to him.
Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, described KABA’s departure as a “painful loss.”
In a short tribute on Facebook, Dr Bawumia expressed shock over the sudden death of popular Ghanaian broadcaster host of late afternoon political show, ‘Ekosii Sen.’
For his part, former President John Dramani Mahama sympathised with the Multimedia Group over the sudden death of one of its star presenters.
Mr Mahama in a similar Facebook post on Saturday evening described KABA’s death as “shocking” while expressing his condolence to the family of the former broadcaster and the media fraternity.
“A sad day for us all. I received the shocking news of the passing of KABA. My condolences to the family, MMG [Multimedia Group] and the media fraternity,” Mr Mahama posted.
General Secretary of National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, eulogising the late broadcaster, said KABA always pushed him to reveal secrets.
According to him, the late broadcaster had a unique way of making his guests reveal “hidden truths” to his audience.
“KABA always pushed me to reveal details I would have otherwise not done in interviews…he always pushed us to reveal serious details…,” he disclosed hours after KABA’s death was announced Saturday.
“I met KABA recently and he complained that there were times when he was accused of either being an NPP or NDC, I told him that was a sign that he was doing well…the fact that you received criticisms from those two sides meant you are doing things right,” General Mosquito disclosed.
Though not a politician, President of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, sadly expressed that it will be difficult to find a replacement for the late Asempa FM presenter.
Reacting to news of the death of KABA on Facebook, Mr Cudjoe described him “undoubtedly one of the very few journalists in Ghana who respected scholarship and had honest regard for the very few independent minds and thinkers in this country.
“I enjoyed every interview I had with him. Such rare curious and lively mind was KABA’s. The entire IMANI family commiserates with his rather young family and we know his replacement with family and on radio will be difficult. Rest well my brother,” he added.
Meanwhile, management of Multimedia Group Limited will hold a memorial service today, [Monday, Nov., 20, 2017] for their departed presenter, Kwadwo Asare Baffuor Acheampong.
The service is scheduled to take place at 6:00 a.m., at the forecourt of Multimedia’s Radio building, which houses Joy FM, Adom FM, Asempa FM and Hitz FM.
Staff members, together with loved ones of the late broadcaster, are expected to be seated by 5.30 a.m., and the dress code is black.
KABA joined Asempa FM in 2008 as a service provider and became full time in August 2009. Prior to joining the Multimedia Group, KABA had worked with Top Radio from 2004-2008.
The broadcaster was a trained teacher at the University of Cape Coast after which he moved to the Ghana Institute of Journalism for Communications Studies.
He later enrolled at the University of Ghana to study Political Science. KABA had also hosted Adom TV’s Morning Show on Multi TV.
The ace broadcaster was among a group of selected senior journalists who joined the president at the Flagstaff House this year to ask him questions about critical national issues.
KABA married Valentina Ofori Afriyie in June 2016, a staff of Accra-based Class FM, who had moved from Radio Gold.
He left behind his wife and a daughter.
