TRIBUTE BY THE NATIONAL SIGNALS BUREAU 

A precious one from us has gone,
A voice we love is still
A place is vacant in our hearts which no one else can fill.

After our lonely heartaches and our silent tears, we will
always have beautiful memories of the one we love so dear.
Servant of God, well done!
Rest from thy loved employ. The battle is fought,
The victory won, enter thy master’s joy.

The blow was hard, the shock severe, God saw you getting tired
and cure was not to be, so he put his arms around you and
whispered, “Come to me”. With tearful eyes we watched you
suffer, and saw you fade away.

Although we loved you dearly, we could not make you stay.
A golden heart stopped beating, hardworking hands to rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us He only takes the best.

It is with a deep sense of grief and sorrow that the entire fraternity of the National Signals Bureau (NSB) pay this tribute to the intelligence icon, Mr. Joshua Kyeremeh. With unwavering determination, dedication and total commitment, he contributed greatly in bringing the Agency this far.

He played a pivotal role in the establishment of the NSB, by being a key contributor towards the promulgation of the NSB Law (Act 1040), setting up standards for continuous professional development of staff of the Agency, and his activeness and inputs during meetings were phenomenal.

Indeed over the years he distinguished himself as a very trustworthy, loyal and zealous father to us and demonstrated unique leadership qualities. In fact, new staff always struggled to identify him as the Boss because of his enviable humility and down to earth nature. Regardless of your rank in the Agency, upon seeing you, he was the first to exchange pleasantries and ask how you were doing.

No matter how busy Coordii as we affectionately called him was, he made it a point to grace our annual end of year Worship Night Service. Amazingly, he always came up as the main preacher due to his ardent love for God and desire to share the Lord’s word.

During one of such services, he reechoed the blessings in giving and showing love to others; and shared a testimony on how a prophesy revealed that the survival of his brother during an Air-Force accident, was due to the generosity displayed by his mother some years ago. He, therefore, encouraged us to emulate same attitudes, wherever we find ourselves.

He was always there for us and whenever we turned to him for counsel, he offered his support and contribution without hesitation. He has indeed paid the “soldiers debt”. His death is a great loss to the Bureau, other Security and Intelligence Agencies and professional groups in general. We shall surely miss him.

NSB hereby expresses profound appreciation to him for the good works. The sterling standards he gave us contributed in projecting the Agency locally and internationally. We hereby assure that the foundation that was laid, will definitely be continued, developed and completed.

We and the entire Security and Intelligence Society, extend our heartfelt condolences to the widow, children, government and all Ghanaians.
Fare thee well Coordinator.

May the Good Lord Grant you eternal rest.
NANTE YIE, COORDII.

TRIBUTE BY SETH K. DANSO

“The righteous perishes and no man takes it to heart. And merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil. He will enter into peace. They will rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.” [Isaiah 57:1-2].

Alice Sebold in a famous quote said that “Nothing is ever certain.” There must certainly be some empirical evidence to support that assertion but it is also certain that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” [Hebrews 9:27]. Ultimately as Christians too, we have yet another certainty grounded in our Faith – “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” [Hebrews 11:1] in the reassuring words of our Master and Saviour JESUS CHRIST who said that “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” [John 14:2-3]

My first encounter with the late Mr. Joshua Kyeremeh, late National Security Coordinator was in 2002, close to twenty (20) years ago as a young officer who had just joined the then Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) now known as the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB). He was at the time the Greater Accra Regional Commander of the BNI.

The encounter was symbolic because he was at the time celebrating his birthday and characteristic of him, beaming with joy and laughter, he called his secretary at that time to cut a slice of his birthday cake and bring to me. This encounter which was supposed to be a pure official debriefing session from a previous operational assignment set the tone for what was to become an excellent relationship between not just us as individuals but later on with our families as well.

The late Mr. Kyeremeh through his consistent professionalism, hard work, discipline and dedication to duty later became Director of the BNI from 2005 to 2009 having been appointed by H. E. John Agyekum Kuffuor, the 2nd President of the 4th Republic. It is a known fact that he made his mark in and with the Bureau. He was a very huge pillar in shaping the careers of a lot of officers including mine as a young officer below age thirty [30], he gave me my first opportunity against all odds to Head a very strategic unit of the Bureau.
The bond of friendship that existed between late Mr. Kyeremeh’s family and mine continued throughout the years when he was out of office as Head of the Counter Intelligence Agency even during the times when he was with his family in the United States of America [USA]. He still remained in constant touch with his friends, associates and family. As a strong character referee, his physical departure has created a gaping void on my cv. Even just attempting to fill the space is daunting.

It was no surprise to a cross section of the public who knew the capabilities of late Mr. Kyeremeh when His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 5th President of the 4th Republic appointed him to the high office of the National Security Coordinator, a position he held from 2017 till that dark Monday, January 18th, 2021 when gloom and doom fell with his last breath. He gave me the enviable opportunity to serve as the Director of Finance at the National Security Council Secretariat [NSCS] and Ministry of National Security [MoNS] but characteristic of him, he would always make direct statements that it is the Lord God Almighty who took me to the office.

His fairness but firmness towards all staff irrespective of creed, class and crass remains unmatched. His overwhelming kindness, show of love, respect and faith for and in all manner of persons are some of the numerous positive attributes of late ‘Pastor’ as he was clandestinely referred to by a few of his close OPS officers. During the last staff durbar of the MoNS in 2020, he is on record to have told all staff gathered to give due recognition and appreciation for the contributions by all especially the cleaners, gardeners, orderlies and the likes. Little did the Ministry know that was to be our PAPA’s last official message to us.

Indeed late ‘Pastor’ was a great man of Faith – Faith in our Master Lord Jesus Christ. His tenure as the NSC was a huge test of his faith in God. He was such a strong person who carried us along and kept admonishing us by the minute notwithstanding the seemingly very lonely path of leadership which he tread albeit, courageously.

PAPA, BOSS, K. JOE, PASTOR - the REDs, friends, family and loved ones miss you dearly. Please rest in the bosom of our Lord till we meet again on that beautiful shore up yonder.

SETH K. DANSO aka KANT
D/FINANCE – MoNS
ACCRA
27TH MAY, 2021

TRIBUTE BY MINISTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY

“To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die”—Thomas Campbell

It is an overwhelming task to have to pay
tribute to the memory of my late colleague and
friend, Joshua Kyeremeh. Our first encounter
was when I was appointed as Minister for the
Interior under Former President J. A. Kufour.
He was then the Director of the Bureau of
National Investigations (BNI), now the National
Intelligence Bureau (NIB).

Our work schedule demanded a fair amount
of regular interaction, which continued even
when I moved to the Ministry of Defence. After
the change of government in 2008, we parted
company.

As fate would have it, upon winning the 2016
General Elections, His Excellency President
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo brought
us together when he paired Joshua and I to
deliver on his security mandate. Joshua was to
function as the National Security Coordinator,
while I was appointed the Minister for National
Security. This was quite new considering that,
the last Minister for National Security also
served as the National Security Coordinator.

Having two different persons occupy these
distinctive positions posed its own challenges,
despite the possible adventures it presented.
In spite of the challenges and differences in
thoughts, Joshua and I sailed through, knowing
the enormity of our assignment and the trust
reposed in us by His Excellency the President.
Joshua’s role as the National Security
Coordinator positioned him as my closest
collaborator and confidante. He brought on
board his several decades of rich experience
in our rare vocation. He provided me with
unwavering support and measured advice
on matters of security and intelligence, which
enriched the discharge of my duties. I was often
awed by his innovation and assertiveness.

Together, we charted a novel course to
delivering on the security mandate delegated
by His Excellency, President Akufo-Addo. We
discovered new horizons, engineered and
crafted modalities to traverse new frontiers to
deal with emerging security challenges.

Coordinator, as I fondly called him, was a very
strong pillar in the national security space. He
was affable and unassuming. Without doubt,
a gentle security giant. He loved his work as a
professional intelligence officer and devoted all
his life to serve Ghana in that capacity.

Indeed, he was a dependable colleague
and I am most grateful for that. I am thankful
that the ministry I serve and the people of
Ghana benefitted greatly from his invaluable
experiences.

Coordinator, “your song has ended, but your
melody lingers on”.

Damirifa due, onua Joshua!
Fare thee well,
Dear colleague.

Rest In Peace

TRIBUTE BY MOTHER (MADAM CLARA OPPONG POMAA)

“The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death”. (Isaiah 57:1-2)

It was a bright Sunday afternoon at the Dormaa
Ahenkro Presbyterian Hospital Labour Ward.
The time was about 12:45 hours and the day,
29th September, 1957—that was the day and
time I heard the midwife say, “It’s a boy”. God
had given me a bouncing baby boy. He was
named Kwasi and later, Joshua Kyeremeh,
after his late grandfather.

In his childhood, K. Joe was very troublesome
but as he grew older, he transformed into a
very calm person. When K. Joe did not spend
his pocket money for school, he readily made
it available upon his return home. Whenever
he stepped out, many children in the village
followed him and often accompanied him
to the house. No wonder he grew up to be a
leader, following in the footsteps of the biblical
Joshua.

I raised K. Joe as a single mother with the help
of my late mother Deborah Takyiwaa and my
two late brothers, Naval Captain J. A. Kyeremeh
and Mr. E. K. Ansuh. K. Joe loved deeply and
valued the people in his life so much, especially
his family. Whilst attending to an urgent matter
in America, K. Joe took time off to attend the
ninety-fifth 95th birthday celebration of my
mother his grandmother, Madam Deborah
Takyiwaa, whom he also named his daughter,
Maame Takyiwaa, after.

As a mother, I am very proud of K. Joe because
despite the numerous difficulties he faced
in his tertiary education, he managed to sail
through. He endured all the difficult times in his
life to reach the position he was. He faced life’s
challenges with humility, hard work, discipline
His life greatly impacted many. K. Joe was the
magnet that brought unity into the larger family.
He respected every member of the family and
made himself accessible to all. He was very
generous to everyone, including churches and
other organisations.

I am writing this tribute with a very heavy heart.
In fact I am in tears because I never thought
you would die before me in my old age. Your
passing has broken my heart. In death, I still
love you. With endless tears in my eyes, I say,
fare thee well my beloved son—till we meet on
the day of resurrection. The Lord gave you to
me and has taken you from me.

Da yie, K. Joe.

TRIBUTE BY NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA

I first encountered him, albeit briefly, shortly
after his appointment as Director of the
then Bureau of National Investigations (BNI)
by the 2nd President of the 4th Republic,
the outstanding Ghanaian statesman, His
Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor – a position
he held from 2005 to 2009.

My acquaintance with him deepened in
the eight (8) years I served as presidential
candidate of the New Patriotic Party, acting, in
effect, as Leader of the Opposition, a period
within which he served dutifully, without
reward, as my principal intelligence officer. He
made significant contributions to my victory
and that of the New Patriotic Party in the
general elections of December 2016, and, thus,
became my natural, undisputed choice for
the position of National Security Coordinator,
when I took office as the 5th President of the
4th Republic, on 7th January 2017.

Affable, easy-going and ebullient, he was,
nonetheless, alert and meticulous, always
paying close attention to the finer details
Moreover, he served as National Security
Co-ordinator with distinction, exhibiting his
devotion to the public interest and to the
national cause. For him, it was democratic
Ghana first at all times.

I have found it difficult to come to terms with
the fact that Joshua Kyeremeh, “Director” as I
called him, is no more with us. His death is a
personal tragedy for me, and, indeed, for our
nation’s security architecture. He was a fine
public servant, and he will be sorely missed.
I extend the deep condolences and
sympathies of my wife, Rebecca, children and
myself, to his widow, children and family for
their tragic, irreplaceable loss.

Thank you for everything Director, God bless,
and may your soul rest in perfect peace until
the Last Day of the Resurrection when we
shall all meet again. Amen!

25th May 2021.
Jubilee House, Accra.

TRIBUTE FROM MARGARET MPARE 

"......but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother "
(Proverbs 18 v. 24b)                    

It is with a very heavy heart that l write this short Tribute in memory of Someone who was a family friend that indeed stuck like a brother! Chief as l normally called him was a real gentleman, cool and collected, kind hearted, empathetic and ready to assist in all situations where possible.       

Chief it will be difficult to forget you especially during the darkest moments of my life. You advised, offered words of encouragement and comfort which spurred me on to persevere and not despair until 'the storm passed'. 
         
I have still not gotten over your absence especially on Sundays. It starts at the car park , your special dancing during Praises etc, exchange of pleasantries after Church Service among others.      

It is my fervent prayer that the Almighty God will grant you Eternal Rest. Your demise showed that you indeed touched many hearts and by this you are being honoured, appreciated and celebrated.         

A bright star has been shot away from us. What can we say? The Good Lord has given, the Lord has taken. Blessed be the name of the Lord.      

FARE THEE WELL, CHIEF!

TRIBUTE TO MY DEAR HUSBAND


“For if we live, we live unto the Lord; and if we die, we die unto the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end, Christ died, arose and lived again that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”  Romans‬ ‭14:8-9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I write a tribute to my best friend, my adorable husband and the father of my children, who I affectionately call Papa.

The night before his passing I had been at the hospital till quite late. Whilst leaving, I wished him good night and added that I will be back early the next morning. The next morning was Monday, the 18th of January 2021.
I got up early as usual and prepared for the hospital as the case had been the past week.

To all who knew him, this was his first time on the hospital bed. His Mother had told him that he had been hospitalized as a toddler for a broken arm, but for any other reason, he had never been hospitalized since.

As a result, when people got the news of his admission to the hospital, they panicked, they prayed fervently and they called throughout the day to check on him.

This fateful morning was not an exception. The calls kept pouring in and I was not picking up, my reason being that I have to get to the hospital and see him so I could give them an update on how he was faring. Unknown to me, he had passed away, the news was all over on the various media platforms and the callers were calling for confirmation.

Once I was told, I was in total disbelief and utter shock. How could Papa die? Were we not going to live together for many more years till all the kids were old enough, married and independent? Then we could enjoy life, have fun and travel around the world?

I insisted on seeing him because I needed to wake him up from whatever deep sleep he was in. I called him several times, he would not respond. I decided to go home and wait to be called that he had woken up. I have been waiting and hoping since. Today that he gets buried, it is quite evident that he indeed passed away and is never going to wake up.

Almost 21 years ago, in June 2000, I had closed from work as a newly-qualified nurse and gone to the roadside to catch a bus (tro-tro) home with a group of colleagues. When a bus came by, we scrambled to get in. Two of us could not. We were left behind. Papa happened to be in the traffic and saw what happened. When he got to the bus stop, he paused and offered us a ride. He added, ‘my Mother is a nurse so I have a soft spot for nurses’.

That was the beginning of a long term close friendship, which later turned into marriage. We remained close friends after marriage. We were very different in character, yet got along so well. God blessed our union with children, loved ones, and acquaintances.

To Papa, life was supposed to be smooth, easy, fun and simple. This was his motivation for helping people and for organizing outings and fun times. His joy was in seeing others happy.

Papa had difficulty keeping money on him if he perceived others needed it. He could actually give out all his money and be left with nothing, and still be happy because his great satisfaction was in bringing smiles to peoples’ faces.

As a husband and a friend, Papa was very transparent, generous, truthful, gentle, kind, extremely patient and loving. Papa was a great Father to our children and to so many others who came into contact with him.

I came to understand faith very well and have been able to apply it to my walk with God, through Papa; he never failed on his promises, so once he gave me a promise, I knew it was a ‘done deal’.

At some point, it dawned on me that if I could believe a mere man, who has limitations so well, why can I not believe God, who has no limitations, in much the same way?

I did, and it worked.

At this moment that Papa has been called, in faith, I am believing God through His word that He (God) will never leave us nor forsake us..
‭‭
Papa was hardworking, committed and very dedicated to his work.
He approached his work with much professionalism, wisdom and diligence. He was an ardent believer in the proverb that, a good name is better than riches and he lived it. He loved his work and was passionate about it.

Papa attached Humility, Empathy, Compassion, Respect and Gentleness to his work. He fostered Peace and avoided confrontation as much as he could.

I have learnt a lot of lessons since the demise of my dear husband Papa.

I learnt from Ecclesiastes 9:11, which says:

“I returned and saw under the sun that— The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.”
‭‭
Just as this verse applies to our daily living, it also applies to the end of life; the time to die and the chance to meet our Maker, happen to all.

Secondly, I have learnt that you do not decide when to die, God does and reserves the right to let you know or not, when that will be.

Thirdly, Habakkuk 2:2-3 says: “Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry”, l learnt that when writing our lives’ visions we have to include death as well; for the vision of death is also for an appointed time and even though it can tarry, we have to prepare and wait for it, for it will surely come.

I understood that the conclusion of the whole matter of life, is to fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
(Ecclesiastes 12:13 paraphrased)

You will be sorely missed for many things Papa. Your favorite couch still sits empty, waiting for you.

You will be missed whenever the name of your favourite soccer team Arsenal is seen or heard.
We miss the whistles by which you called each one of us, your dances, your ‘kɛkyɛ’ walkings, your big guy laughter.

The children and I have chosen to keep you alive. You will live in our hearts and minds and in our daily living. They will be trained according to God’s precepts and yours. My prayer is for them to come out the way you wanted them to.

I have told them that anytime they want to speak with you, they should speak to God; because you are with God and that God will send their messages to you and bring back your messages to them.

I am certain that you have fared very well, because not only did you die as a good man, but most importantly, you knew Christ as your Lord and Redeemer.

The Papa Papa! The Papa Doo!! The Original K-joe!!!
You died a hero
You died uncorrupted
You died a Victor
You died a Patriot
We shall meet sooner or later and catch up on all the good memories.
I will always love you.

Mrs. Afua Kyeremeh

TRIBUTE BY CHILDREN

Daddy was a very nice, kind, easy-going and caring man, loved by many. He loved fancy food, his family, soccer, the team Arsenal, jollof, music and dancing. He also loved his relatives.

He was a very diligent and hard working man. He would go to work during the day and also wake up to read Reports in the night and early mornings. He would work hard during the week days, and relax especially on Sundays after church in his sofa, watching football and entertaing family and friends.

He was a disciplinarian who did not tolerate laziness, cockiness, unnecessary noise-making, fighting and any form of misbehaviour. He was very smart and demonstrated a lot of general knowledge.

He did not like it, when he was watching soccer and the person who was going to score missed or was blocked by the goal keeper. We like how he treated everyone equally and accorded everyone respect.

We learnt from Daddy, that in life, two things mattered; who you know and what you know. Our daddy, knew the Lord and loved God. He also knew important people. He kept his job also because, he knew his job. He was a truly blessed, but humble man.

Daddy was a very good father. We liked everything about him and he was our daddy and our buddy. He taught us to be patient and gentle with people, no matter the cost and not let anger get a hold on us. He also taught us to be always forgiving and humble.

We miss Daddy spending time chatting with us. We miss doing dancing competitions. We miss Daddy taking us out to hotels and restaurants on special occasions and sometimes on Friday evenings when he is free. We will always miss his love and caring self.

May you find eternal rest with the Lord, God. Rest well Daddy, till we meet again.
Nhyira, Aseda and Maame Takyiwaa.

RIP my Dear