Tribute to our Founding Director, Prof. Samuel Nunoo Woode
by Management and Staff of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS)

“So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic”. (Isaiah 28:16)

With these words of comfort of the Prophet Isaiah on the promises of God, we are confident to pay this glorious tribute to the Founding Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), Prof. S. N. Woode. We thank God for using Prof. Woode as the pillar for which the foundations of the Institute were built. He will be profoundly missed by all for giving it all in the service of the Institute and Ghana as a whole.

To us, at the ILGS; he was a founding father, a trailblazer, and a constant source of inspiration and encouragement. He was our dynamic initiator-in-chief when the Institute began as a project of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in 1999. He performed an outstanding pioneering role and positioned the Institute as a Centre of excellence for building, strengthening and consolidating local governance in Ghana. Constantly brimming with new ideas and grand schemes, plans and projects, he propelled the ILGS into new directions and challenged it to explore different capacity building interventions for the then fledging local governance sector. He worked diligently until 2003, when he joined the Public Services Commission and since then he continued being a part of the ILGS and admired ILGS grow from strength to strength. 

One thing Professor Woode will be sorely remembered for is his high sense of public duty, discipline and professionalism. He was an epitome for law and order and instilled discipline in the staff during his tenure as Director of the Institute. He abhorred laxity to work and couldn’t come into terms with tardiness from staff. He occasionally resorted to “yelling” as a form of communicating his disapproval to constant indiscipline. Because of this, an invitation to Prof office was always a dreaded experience. But these impressions would quickly be dispelled when you get to work with him and begin to appreciate his expectations for hard work, diligence and professional ethics in all fields of endeavour. You would realise he was some kind of a gentleman – firm, fair, balanced and honest to the hilt.

Prof., as we affectionately called him, left his fingerprint on the heart and soul of the Institute. He continually expressed his interest in the activities of the Institute even after his retirement from public service. He responded with alacrity when the Institute invited him to grace important occasions. Before his demise, he was present during the Institute’s engagement with the media on the upcoming referendum in November, 2019 where he expressed his delight in the success of ILGS leading the campaign for local democracy and development.

There is no doubt that death has robbed us of a distinguished personality, a fine mind and an outstanding public servant. Though we know that death is inevitable, it does not cease to always leave in its pain and grief such as we feel today. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and wish of comfort and strength go to his wife and children and all his friends and colleagues who had the privilege of knowing him. 

We shall forever hold you dearly and celebrate you in our heart and places, for all the good services you rendered to the ILGS.

Prof., as we bid you farewell in this tribute, we do so with a heart of gratitude. May God grant you a restful place in His bosom.

Damirifadue! Due, due ne amanehunu!!

Nyame mfa wokra nsie dwoodwoo.

I’ve been reflecting on the times I spent with Uncle Kobina. He always called me “Meba”. He always without fail reminded me of how I used to like food and he always told others about our love of domestic farm animals.
Uncle Kobina is kind and he’s funny. He laughs at our version of the fanti language every time we met and always drew the same conclusion “ Eih Meba, mo aye3 asante foa) to which I always replied daabi ohh Uncle.
For those of us who lived in Kumasi going to Accra was like going to Abrokyere. Once we mastered how to deal with the ntomtom (mosquitoes) it was always a pleasure to go to Accra.
He opened up his home to us and welcomed us anytime.
We looked forward to Uncle Kobina coming to Kumasi because for sure we will get crisp brand new cash, bread and bananas. We will thank him for the paanoo and kwe3du and he will remind us it is brodo and impuoa.
Uncle just 2 weeks ago @⁨Yvonne Appiah-Poku⁩ and I were discussing how much you sowed into our lives.
Thank you and rest well Wofa.