Tribute to Albert Sam, My brother, Fare thee Well
Last March, l had a challenge, and the person l could immediately turn to for advice was Mr Albert Sam.
I called him about 2pm on Sunday, March 21, wanting to discuss the problem with him.
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Unfortunately, the call couldn’t go through. I, therefore, decided to reach out to him later.
Unbeknown to me, he had passed away either early Sunday, March 21 or late Saturday, March 20 at the Ridge Hospital in Accra.
While l was thinking of calling him again on Monday, l had a call from Mr Ransford Tetteh, former Editor of the Daily Graphic and my former boss, that Albert Sam had died.
I didn’t know what to do. I was shivering. A person’s life is short. It flourishes like a flower but withers in no time. Oh this world and mankind.
I had known Mr Sam for more than 30 years. He was the Ashanti Regional Editor of the Daily Graphic, the News Editor and Head of Corporate Affairs of Graphic.
I learnt at his feet when he was the Ashanti Regional Editor of the Daily Graphic in Kumasi for more than 10 years.
He embraced me and worked with me not only as a colleague but as a brother, a friend and a mentor.
Memories
During the time l worked with him, l learnt very useful lessons: hard work and tapping the knowledge and experiences of colleagues.
He hardly wrote a story and submitted it for publication without seeking an opinion from a colleague whether his junior or senior in the profession.
These lessons made an impact on me when l also had the privilege to become the News Editor of Daily Graphic.
He had a nose for news, mostly exclusives and interviews.
It was because of his hard work and penchant for exclusive news that won him the Best Journalist of the Year award in 1991.
He often made life easy and simple with his jovial personality.
Faith in the Lord
Before and after his retirement from Graphic, we used to discuss Methodist Church Sunday school lessons often.
His faith in the Lord was steadfast.
In November last year, just as l was about to sleep, he sent to me the following message on prayer.
Kwaku, just before you sleep, “Speak to God. Pour out your problems to Him. Speak to Him about those worrisome situations. He longs to hear from you. He knows all about you and your problems but He still wants to hear from you.
“PRAYER is the only means of communication that gets you connected to Him. FAITH is the key that unlocks all the doors in His kingdom. As you get connected to His KINGDOM through Prayer, don’t forget to always apply FAITH .
“May God bless you and your family and your loved ones as you prepare to retire to bed, in Jesus’ Name.”
I will hardly forget the contribution he made to my life and journalism career.
As he returns to his ancestral home on Friday (May 28, 2021), may the LORD give him a peaceful rest.
Menua, Da yie.
We will miss you, ALBERTO!!
