Anytime the Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr I. K. Nkrumah, came out of his office to look left, right and centre, it meant he was looking for somebody in particular to do something for him.
Anytime he did this, my colleagues in the newsroom, especially Tufuor Afrifah, Nana Fredua Agyemang and Vicky Wireko would start giggling and direct their attention at me, literally telling me, “Your father is looking for you”.
Then Mr Nkrumah would call out “A-l-e-e-w-a; is he around?” .Then I would get up and walk towards him and follow him into his office. The editor, who certainly was fond of me, would give me some assignments to do for him or ask me to go out and do some interviews to write some stories in which he had interest.
Through this, I was able to get a lot of bylines. I never got tired of doing his wishes for him. He, himself, knew this and therefore I was always at his beck and call.
Transfer to Tamale
On this particular occasion, however, when he called me to his office, he thought I was going to get angry. It was sometime in September 1975, probably at the end of the month.
“You see, I would have liked you to remain in Accra,” he started. “ You do a lot of things for me but it has been decided that you should go on transfer to Tamale. They were able to convince me that since you are a Moslem and you speak Hausa, you will be able to adjust; moreover you will be the first occupant of the Graphic bungalow.”
“Editor, sir, I am ever ready to go to Tamale even now!”
Mr Nkrumah was surprised by my quick response and acceptance of transfer to what people always referred to as the far North.
What my editor did not know was my long cherished desire to settle and work in Tamale one day. As of that time, I had never travelled beyond Asante Mampong or Offinso, not even on an excursion to Tamale. But the Northern Regional capital always had a special attraction to me.
Earlier plans
Before I left Legon in 1970, I had planned to go up North and teach. Those were the days when before one completed his under graduate studies, forms would be sent from the Civil Service Commission or the Ghana Education (then Teaching) Service. I preferred to go and teach because that would guarantee me accommodation without any sweat. So on the then Teaching Service form, I chose Northern Region as my first choice with Tamale Secondary School, Gbewaa Training College and St Charles’s Secondary School in order of preference.
My second regional choice was Upper Region (when it was one) and I selected Navrongo Sec. School, Bolgatanga Sec. School and St John Bosco.
Ashanti Region was my third choice, just for convenience, even though it was not my wish to return to the region.
Unfortunately when the Teaching Service wrote to me sometime in August 1970, I realised I had been posted to Nalerigu Secondary School; definitely not what I bargained for. I was terribly disappointed.
However, those were the days when one could just go to any secondary school, if one wanted to teach, and meet the headmaster for employment. That was why I decided to go to my third region of choice, Ashanti. There was no problem getting an appointment to teach at my alma mater, Konongo/ Odumasi Secondary School.
So when Mr Nkrumah called me that day and naturally told me to get ready to go to Tamale on transfer, it had been five long years since my initial dream of moving to the Northern Region was shattered. I never knew I would get that opportunity again.
My friends in the news room were eagerly waiting for me to find out which assignment had been given to me. I was full of smiles as I came out of the editor’s office.
I told them what transpired between the editor and myself. I was on my way to Tamale as the Regional Editor of the Daily Graphic in charge of the Northern and Upper Regions, when Upper was one, with accommodation for me and an official car at my disposal.
My transfer to Tamale was one of the greatest things to have happened to me. It was a whole new world I was going to traverse, having never set foot on any part of the North.
After I had been properly transferred, I had to wait for weeks in Accra. The only reason was that they were putting finishing touches to the bungalow I was going to occupy. They told me about electricity and water connection and the supply of furniture by the State Construction Corporation (SCC), and these were not ready.
I was in regular touch with Idrissu Seini (now deceased) who had been in Tamale for 10 years as the Regional Correspondent. He used to brief me daily on developments. But I had to take the advice of friends that if I wanted things to be done fast, then I must move to Tamale.
That was exactly what I did. Without even collecting my transport allowance, I packed bag and baggage and moved to Kumasi. That was in early November, 1975. In Kumasi, I arranged with the Graphic delivery van to take me to Tamale.
Exciting trip
At that time, the Kintampo road had not been opened and all vehicles going to Tamale passed through Yeji. My first trip to Tamale was really exciting as it was my first time of passing through Mampong, Atebubu and other towns along the route. Then we got to Yeji right on time to join the ferry to cross the Volta and land at Makango, the first point of entry to the North.
We were now in the Savanna. We had left the tropical forest behind. In its place was grassland. We drove through Salaga, the heartbeat of Gonja land and by 4 p.m. on November 15, 1975, we arrived safely at the Graphic Office at Tamale. Mr Seini was at hand to receive me.
After an exchange of pleasantries, Mr Seini introduced me to the Graphic staff as the person to take over from him. In the same vein, he introduced me to the vendors who had come to collect their copies of that day’s Daily Graphic which the distribution van had brought to Tamale. It had been a long journey from Kumasi, so I was anxious to get home to go and rest. That was when Mr Seini broke the bad news that the Graphic bungalow was still not ready for occupation. He told me he had arranged accommodation for me at Atta Essibi Hotel.
All the same, he drove me to my new official residence in the Agric Ridge area. I was surprised to realise that there was still a lot to do to make it habitable. Water had not been connected, likewise electricity, and furniture was yet to be provided by the State Construction Corporation, (SCC) long defunct.
After going round the building, Mr Seini drove me to Atta Essibi, on the Hospital road, where I was to spend my first night in Tamale.
