Lee Accorley passes on
The first editor of the Graphic Showbiz, Mr Lee Accorley passed on last Friday in Accra. He was 75 years old. Showbiz spoke to some former and present staff of the paper who had a working relationship with Lee Accorley.
Advertisement
First was former editor Nanabanyin Dadson who had this to say, “Since I came to know Lee, I have considered him to be a dare. I say so because he is one person who is not afraid to walk unfamiliar waters. In 1998 when the Graphic Showbiz was established by the then Managing Director Kofi Badu who asked me to work on the paper.”
“I was then the deputy editor of The Mirror and I handled entertainment and had a column as well. I did some work and put in some requests for office staff etc. Kofi Badu said we couldn’t have them and he straightaway appointed Lee to become the first editor.”
“Since then, I have known him to be someone who accepts challenges, if he hadn’t, Showbiz wouldn’t be where it is now. He would come to me for music, dance and theatre stories and he was on top of the game. Finally when I came to work as his deputy, we worked nicely together. We received lots of contributions from people who were not staff, some still contribute to the paper. For the 12 years or so that I served as editor, I’d bump into him at Graphic very often and we shared ideas. He was never out of touch and I can’t forget his trademark baseball cap. It’s a pity he is gone but he has paid his dues. Wherever he is, may he rest in perfect peace,” he concluded.
On his part, Nii Addokwei Moffatt, former deputy editor of Graphic Showbiz said, “I owe a lot of my success in Journalism to two people. The first is Mr Edward Ameyibor and then Mr Lee Accorley who taught me a lot when I started working with Graphic Showbiz. Page planning was done by measurement and he took his time to take me through it. He was particular about what you use as your lead and headline.”
“He was indeed a father, friend, confidant and advisor. We went everywhere together, ate together and shared jokes. It was fun working with him. He had a good heart, whatever the problem was, he will advise you. He taught me to be humble.”
“It’s sad we’ve lost him. I met him a couple of weeks ago at Graphic and as usual we had a long chat, I will really miss him. I am in Cape Coast now doing some work but I will go and see his family as soon as I am back. May he rest in peace,” he said.
Linda Safoa Antwi is the News Editor of Viasat 1 and former staff of Graphic Showbiz, “I didn’t work with him directly but I found him to be very friendly and accomodating. I remember him asking me every now and then how I was coping. A lot of people also told me how he’s helped them in their work, we’ve lost a good person and a great writer, may he rest in perfect peace.”
According to Francis Doku, who is a columnist of the Graphic Showbiz, Uncle Lee as he was affectionately called gave him the opportunity to write for the paper, “When I walked to the offices of Graphic Showbiz and asked to write for the paper, Uncle Lee gave me the opportunity without asking for a certificate which I didn’t have at the time, he only asked me to write something for him to see.”
“Even though the creation of my column is the brainchild of the then deputy, Nanabanyin Dadson, the opportunity to have my by-line in the biggest entertainment newspaper was given by Uncle Lee,” he said.