2022 In Review: Gone But Not Forgotten
The year 2022 has been a year of numerous memories; while it brought a lot of happiness to many Ghanaians, it also had its fair share of sadness.
Many influential Ghanaian personalities passed away, leaving their families and the nation heartbroken.
From politics and business to the entertainment industry, several deaths left Ghanaians in shock, with many questioning God.
From the young to the old, the icy hands of death did not spare the lives of these icons.
As we embrace 2023 with joyous celebrations, Theghanareport.com remembers the souls that did not cross into the new year.
1. Highlife veteran A.B. Crentsil
Alfred Benjamin Crentsil was a Ghanaian musician. He was one of the “big three” of contemporary Ghanaian vocalists. Crentsil won the Fontomfrom Evergreen Award, an honour bestowed upon a musician with 15–20 years of continuous music experience.
Legendary Highlife singer Alfred Benjamin Crentsil kicked the bucket on July 13. The 79-year-old was laid to rest on November 5.
2. Actress Marleen Hutchful Mensah (Lois of Things We Do For Love)
Hutchful entered the scenes of the Ghanaian series Things We Do For Love in 2000 as the character “Lois”. Her role in the movie was that of a Ghanaian teenager.
She was known for her distinct American accent in the movie. She acted alongside Adjetey Annan, known in the same series as Pusher.
Marleen passed away on January 11, 2022, after acute myeloid leukaemia. She was buried in Ghana on January 27, 2022, at the Lashibi Funeral Home in Accra.
3. Actor Psalm Adjeteyfio (T.T. of Taxi Driver fame)
Veteran actor Psalm Adjeteyfio was best known for his lead character T.T. in the Ghanaian T.V. series Taxi Driver.
Before he got into acting, he was a Ga language teacher at the PRESEC staff school.
After battling heart disease, the actor died in the wee hours of Friday, April 8 2022.
The 68-year-old passed away after heart failure complications.
Before his death, the Taxi Driver famed actor was in the news soliciting financial help.
In an earlier interview, T.T., as he was popularly known, said his medical problems started when he was diagnosed with an enlarged heart, leading to swollen feet.
He added that the condition later evolved into an acute heart disease that needed immediate attention else he was doomed.
The Taxi Driver star said most of his friends ignored his calls and blocked his number because of his illness.
Besides the donation from Dr Bawumia, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, also pledged a monthly stipend of GHC1,500 for the actor.
4. Dr Cann of Happy FM
Former Happy FM presenter Francis Ebo Cann, popularly known as Dr Cann, passed away on March 25 after a short illness.
Before joining Happy FM, he worked with Radio Winaby in Cape Coast, GBC Radio in Accra and Sunrise FM in Koforidua.
Dr Cann left behind a wife and two sons.
5. Kumawood actor Osei Tutu
Kumawood actor and friend to Ras Nene, Osei Tutu, was reported dead on May 17 after a short illness.
The bulky-eyed actor was 51 years old at the time of his passing.
In a new interview, the mother of the late actor disclosed that his son died from a spiritual attack from someone in the movie industry. According to her, before Osei Tutu died, a spiritualist removed nine (9) pins from his throat.
Known for his bad-boy roles in movies, the actor started his acting career in the early 2000s.
Better known and called Tutu among colleagues, the vivacious actor starred in several movies with top acts, including Lil Win, Ras Nene, Kyeiwaa, Emelia Brobbey, Agya Koo, and Kwaku Manu, among others.
6. Highlife singer Nana Nsiah Piesie
Highlife singer Nana Nsiah Piesie died under tragic circumstances on April 4.
He was involved in a motor accident at Pokuase while returning to Accra after a trip.
In an official announcement, the family said the 57-year-old was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital after the crash.
However, he was referred to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital but died on arrival.
The ‘Police Abaa’ hitmaker was 57 years old.
Aside from ‘Police Abaa’, he had songs like ‘Wo Gyae Me a Mennwe Aboɔ’, ‘Enyigyina Bekume’ and ‘Me do wo’.
7. Kumawood actor Patrick Safo
Kumawood actor Patrick Safo died after reportedly drowning in a swimming pool.
His death was reported to have occurred on Saturday, June 4, 2022.
Safo starred in several movies. He came into the limelight through ‘Official Prostitute’, which had the late Suzzy Williams as the lead actor.
He was also a character in Venus Films Productions’ Crime to Christ, in which Majid Michelle was the lead actor, among several others.
8. Actor Prince Yawson (Waakye of Obra fame)
Actor Prince Yawson, known in showbiz as Waakye of Akan Drama ‘Obra’ and ‘Chorkor Trotro’ fame, died at the 37 Military Hospital, on August 1 2022, after suffering a mild stroke.
The actor, who had also been ordained as a pastor, was 52 years old.
9. Ekow Blankson (Actor and media manager)
Ekow Blankson was a Ghanaian actor and the Commercial Manager of GhanaWeb.
He also worked on projects for schools, notable among them was a production from Lords Production of G.H. Schools; he worked with them on a movie titled Breath Vengeance and was nominated for Best Adult Male Role in their awards scheme, the G.H. Student’s Movie Awards.
He died on October 3 2022, at 50, after being rushed to the hospital following a sudden illness.
10. Baba Spirit (Actor and media personality)
Comic actor and media personality Baba Spirit, known in private life as Francis Yaw Ofori, was reported dead on Thursday, September 8, 2022.
He was diagnosed with a low blood count after he was admitted to Kotoku hospital. He died at 41.
In 2017, the comic actor and media personality made headlines when he proposed to fight Ayittey Powers in a boxing match.
Baba Spirit’s death coincided with the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving British monarch.
11. Ice Kenkey (Key Soap Concert Party comedian)
Veteran Ghanaian comic actor Ice Kenkey of Key Soap Concert Party fame died on June 9. The actor, known in private life as Kwaku Dankwah, was the contemporary of comedians like Nkomode and Bishop Bob Okala.
12. Scizo
Born Joseph Kwame Sogli, the rapper and producer burst to fame under the mentorship of veteran hiplife producer Da’Hammer, and courted widespread acclaim within local hip-hop circles, particularly for his use of the Ga dialect and compelling storytelling.
He also received critical praise for nack for attacking dense themes and combining catchy choruses with thoughtful messaging.
Popular for songs including ‘Ke Shika Le’ and ‘1 Stone’, Scizo went on to record with top names including Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, and Kwabena Kwabena, among others.
Ghanaian hiplife star Scizo died on January 5 at his base in Nevada, USA. He reportedly succumbed to a short illness.
13. Nana Kwame Ampadu
Nana Kwame Ampadu was a Ghanaian musician and composer credited with numerous popular highlife tracks, and he is known to have composed over 800 songs.
He was also known as Adwomtofo Nyinaa Hene.
Ampadu was the lead singer, chief songwriter, and founder of the “African Brothers Band”. He is regarded as a pioneer of highlife music and one of the most illustrious Ghanaian musicians of the 20th century.
Nana Ampadu died on September 28 2021, at the age of 76, at the Legon Hospital in Accra.
14. Kwesi Botchway
Kwesi Botchwey was a Ghanaian government official and Professor of Practice in Development Economics at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University.
Botchwey was Minister for Finance and Economic Planning from 1982 to 1995.
Botchwey died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on November 19 2022, at the age of 78.
15. Sol Amarfio
Sol was a Ghanaian drummer and songwriter. He was the drummer of Osibisa and also wrote songs for the band. With the band, he scored a worldwide hit with The Coffee Song (1976), Sunshine Day (1976), and Pata Pata (1980).
Amarfio died on December 13 2022, at the age of 84.
16.Aliu Mahama’s Wife, Hajia Ramatu Mahama
Ramatu Aliu Mahama (Neè Egala), the wife of the late former Vice President Aliu Mahama, passed on at age 70.
Affectionately known as Hajia Ramatu, she died on April 7, 2022, her son, Farouk Mahama, who is also the Member of Parliament for Yendi, announced.
She was the daughter of the late Imoro Egala, a Minister for Trade and Industry and the first Ghanaian chairman of COCOBOD, in the first republic and a long-standing political stalwart in Ghana through to the third republic; doubling as a founder of the PNP, now PNC.
The late Hajia Ramatu Mahama left behind four children – Salma Mahama, Farouk Mahama, Fayad Mahama and Halim Mahama.
The MP said his family had lost a great pillar,