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From devastation to glory… Bitter-sweet story of a lawyer who is blind
How would you feel when you woke up early in the morning and realised you were losing your sight – in other words, going blind in both eyes?
This was how it all started for an ambitious young man – Jones Odame, who was dreaming to become an investigative journalist or lawyer.
Dejectedly, on Monday, March 5, 2007, that lofty dream took a devastating blow in the face when Jones, the second-last of eight siblings, woke up with a blurred, grey and dim vision.
Later, the eyes were gone. He could see no more! It was such a torturing experience.
But how did he survive life’s out-of-the-blue turbulence? How did he soar down to the sea and float on it?
Wait a minute. We shall come to that survival story.
Born some 39 years ago to Mr T.G Akyea and Madam Gladys Asantewaa, both of whom hail from Anum – an Akan community in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region, Jones began his basic education at Akwatia – also in the Eastern Region – and continued at the Anum Presbyterian Senior High School from where he proceeded to the Peki Teachers Training College in the Volta Region.
On completion, he taught for two years at Akim Akroso, also in the Eastern Region, until disaster struck one fateful Monday morning.
“I had woken up one Monday morning to prepare for a church programme, as I was the District President of the Young People’s Guild (YPG) in the Nsaba District in the Central Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, when I realised I was going blind,” he recalled.
Immediate reaction: Ceaseless and intense prayers were offered by church members in search of a miracle. Nothing happened.
Tremulous and utterly confused, Jones hurriedly left Akroso on Friday of the same week for the Emmanuel Eye Clinic at East Legon in Accra, which had been recommended to him, in search of solution to the fast-fading sight.
“There, the doctor also directed me to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for further assessment after which I was booked for theatre the following Tuesday for a supposed correction of my sight.”
The operation was done. It was retinal detachment repair of the eyes after which he had to spend about a week in the recovery ward.
Finally, the D-day came for the eye shields or bandage to be removed – amid tension and anxiety that had crammed up the ward. His family and friends had come to offer a world of support to him, hoping for the best.
But alas Jones could not regain his sight after the eye-pad had been removed.
“Can you see? Can’t you see anything? Can you see me?” These were words from the eye surgeon that only met a reaction of tears and desolation.
“It was not an easy thing to be told I couldn’t see again for the rest of my life. I was really, really wrecked, heart-broken and devastated,” Jones recollected.
The doctor then advised him to go to the School of the Blind at Akropong in the Eastern Region, since there was “absolutely nothing” that could be done about his situation.
Hardly hit, members of his church at Akroso including one Mr Amponsah, Auntie Mariam from the Netherlands, Kwaku Odame (not his brother) and Reverend Bekai, got some doctors from the USA to confirm that his eyes were truly damaged.
After several failed attempts to restore his sight, Reverend Bekai introduced Jones to a former Head of the School for the Blind, to try to conscientise and introduce him to the Braille. Braille is a form of written language for people who are blind, in which characters are represented by patterns of raised dots that are felt with the fingertips.
“It was there that I realised I had to accept my situation willy-nilly. Indeed, I cried my head off the very first time I touched the braille.”
However, after realising that there was nothing he could do, Jones – as he is affectionately called, begrudgingly agreed to settle for the School of the Blind, where he was first admitted into the Rehabilitation Class.
The Rehab Class is meant for those who were not born blind.
There, he saw a couple of people who had his kind of story including the Counsellor, a Masters Degree holder.
“You can be whatever you want to be in this world through the braille; so don’t be discouraged at all,” were the words of encouragement from the counsellor.
According to Jones, he was hugely motivated by that admonition – and though a year’s course or more, “I spent only two months reading and writing perfect braille.”
With his confidence fully restored and thinking there was no time to waste, he applied and was admitted into the University of Ghana, Legon, to study Political Science and Sociology in 2007.
After four years of diligence, Jones emerged with flying colours – chalking First Class in his area of study.
And, as destiny may have it, he landed at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in Accra for his one-year National Service.
“It was there that I realised one of my childhood dreams to be a lawyer was on course.”
So, in 2014, he applied to the University of Ghana School of Law, where he passed an entrance examination to pursue a Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) – completing in 2016.
Thereafter, Jones gained admission into the Ghana School of Law (Makola), but had to defer the course for two years after the 2016-2017 academic year, owing to reasons he said, were personal.
He, however, bounced back ‘gallantly’ in 2020 to complete his course and was called to the Bar on Friday, October 1, 2021.
The day was a historic one for Lawyer Jones Odame as he was given a standing ovation by the Chief Justice (CJ) Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, the former CJ Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame and an array of eminent justices, when his name boomed from the ‘loud speakers’ as among the 278 lawyers called to the Bar. Apparently, his story was known to all of them. They know it has taken him a Himalayan effort to make the journey.
This year’s event – held at the International Conference Centre in Accra, was the 58th Anniversary in the history of enrolment on the Roll of Lawyers.
“It’s been a hard, tortuous journey, but thank God I have been able to achieve my childhood dreams,” an elated Lawyer Odame, who is married with two children (twins), told The Spectator.
He advised the visually impaired or those who unfortunately find themselves in his situation, not to give up but strive hard to achieve their goal.
“You don’t have to take your life or throw up your hands in despair when confronted with a situation like mine. Life itself is not easy, but with focus and that intrinsic motivation, you can achieve your dreams,” he asserted.
Lawyer Odame took the opportunity to express his appreciation to the Director of the School of Law, Mr Maxwell Opoku Agyemang, the two Registrars of the school and his 2016-2017 Year Group, adding that “this success wouldn’t have come without their encouragement and financial support.”
For now, Lawyer Odame is dreaming of working with the United Nations to champion issues relating to disability.
“Having lived as a sighted person and now as a person who is blind, I have become passionate on issues relating to disability and how they are handled in our society – and will, therefore, wish to work with the UN or any reputable NGO which mandate is to promote the welfare of persons with disability.”
By John Vigah
He once sold kenkey to pay his school fees, and now wears the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police. DCOP Kofi Sarpong, police officer and award winning gospel musician is charting a journey few could script.
In an interview with The Spectator chronicling his rise, the newly promoted DCOP took us on his journey through the ranks.
Early Life
“I was born in Berekum in the Bono Region, then Brong Ahafo, to Comfort Yeboah, affectionately called Maame Yaa, and the late Chief Inspector Kofi Sarpong,” he said.
His family story is one of resilience. His mother had two children before her husband died in an accident. She later married Kofi Sarpong’s father, a police officer, and had two more, himself and his junior brother. “So we are four, unfortunately one is deceased, just last year, so we are three now.”
School and struggle
He started at Berekum Methodist Primary under the old ‘Sito’ system. In Form Two, he moved to Obuasi to stay with a guardian for his Form Three education, then returned to Berekum for Form Four. He later attended Berekum Senior High School where he studied General Arts and shone as an athlete, a sprinter in the 100m, 200m and 4x400m relay.
After O-Levels, his batch was the last to write the exams, his dream was to become a teacher because of his love for children. But financial hardship forced a detour.
“I decided to help myself by going to buy maize and started preparing kenkey to sell at lorry parks and markets in Berekum,” he recalled.
According to him, the people from Berekum know this story. “I can make all types of kenkey, Fante Kenkey, Ga Komi and others. Don’t be surprised to see Kofi Sarpong Kenkey one day.” The proceeds paid his upkeep.
For this reason, he advised the youth “Don’t see life as a smooth journey but find something prudent to do to help yourself in difficult times.”
After grinding his education to a halt due to financial challenges, he now holds a Degree in Public Administration from GIMPA, a Master’s in International Relations and Diplomacy and Project Management, plus other higher certificates, with more in the offing.
The Police Call
When teaching did not materialise immediately, he moved to stay with his father at Osu, Accra. In 1994, he visited former IGP Nana Owusu-Nsia at Police Headquarters, who told about ongoing police enlistment.
In his head he declined, but outwardly he accepted to try reluctantly. Later, watching TV news and seeing long queues of young people aspiring to join the Police, he was inspired to reconsider.
He went to Berekum for his certificate. Accra enlistment had closed, so he joined the Kumasi exercise. He was selected, passed the exams and went to the Koforidua Police Training School, Galloway. After passing out, he was posted to the Logistics Unit at Police Headquarters.
At Headquarters, a senior officer encouraged young constables to further their education. He took a course in Purchasing and Supply via distance learning from a UK institution. 
Upon completion, the Police administration promoted him from Constable Class One to Chief Inspector, a leap that paved the way for him to enrol at the Police Academy. He graduated as ASP, and the climb to DCOP began.
“The officer corps starts from Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) from the cadet,” he explained. “When you graduate from the Police Academy, you are awarded ASP, and you move to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), that’s when I released album to start my music career professionally.”
From there, he rose to Superintendent of Police (SP), Chief Superintendent, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), and now Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP). Next is Commissioner of Police (COP).
Music found him in Sudan
On peacekeeping duty in Sudan, officers from different nations came together to hold fellowship led by a Nigerian officer. In December that year, with top-ranked officers present, Kofi Sarpong led the service to the admiration of all.
On his return to Ghana, a Colonel, who was a Matron at 37 Military Hospital and a member of the 37 Methodist-Presbyterian Church invited him to their harvest service. He ministered, and as he stepped out of church, a man approached him with an offer to record him. He declined.
Days later, at the office, the man, Ernest Kwesi, who owned Media Excel Production sent an elderly man to pursue him. He still declined. This compelled Ernest Kwesi himself to visit him at the office. “He told me he had seen something in me.”
Just after Ernest Kwesi left,Kofi Sarpong wrote to then Director General/Welfare, Mohammed Alhassan, and Paul Tawiah Quaye the Inspector General of Police (IGP) at the time. “He opened the letter and said he had been waiting all this while because he had seen me perform at police officers’ events.”
He was summoned to the IGP’s office, a call which scared him, however, it was a good news; his request was approved. Against this backdrop, he informed Ernest Kwesi who quickly visited that evening with highlife musician Akwaboah Jnr., who taught him his first song, ‘Me ko nso hw3 mu’, and they went to the studio.
A song earlier recorded in reggae by Zapp Mallet was totally transformed by Nacee, so they released both versions on the album. Nacee, he says, hugely supported promotion, as did Mark Okraku-Mantey.
He also acknowledge Oware Jnr. who also wrote songs for him.
After his maiden album’s success, police leadership congratulated him. He says he is happy to have inspired other officers to write to the Service to pursue other interests.
An autobiography, he reveals, is in the offing.
Family and food
He is married to Mrs Salomey Sarpong with three children, two boys and a girl: Nana Nketiah, Maame Afia Yeboah Sarpong and Papa Kwabena Aseda Sarpong.
His hobbies are watching athletics and being with family. His favourite foods are fufu and konkonte with groundnut soup.
On music, he teased a collaboration with a top Nigerian artiste, promising fans “hot praises” soon.
He concluded by thanking Ghanaians for their support since his promotion, and thanked the Inspector General of Police for his guidance.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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WHEN some of her pupils failed to show up at school, Mary Adotei did not always assume they were absent. Sometimes, she went looking for them.
In the communities where she taught, getting a child into the classroom could require more than preparing lessons. Mrs Adotei remembers occasions when she had to visit the homes of pupils, bathe them, prepare them and bring them to school herself.
“There were times I had to go to the homes of some of the children, bathe them and bring them to school,” she recalled.
It is a memory that captures much of her journey over the years as a teacher, a profession she entered without knowing it would become central to her identity.
Now, after years of working with children and communities, Mrs Adotei is taking lessons from the classroom into a new arena.
She is contesting the position of Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa (AOB) Constituency in the Central Region, hoping to use her experience working with people to contribute to the welfare of women in the constituency.
But her story begins in the classroom.
After completing her basic and secondary education, Mrs Adotei spent 12 years working as a pupil teacher before she had the opportunity to receive professional training.
In 2006, she entered Fosu College of Education and completed her training in 2011 with a Diploma in Basic Education.
She returned to the classroom and has remained there since, teaching in different communities before moving to her current school, Catholic Boys Basic School in Breman Asikuma, in 2019.
The years have given her a front-row seat to the transformation education can bring.
Some of the children she once taught have grown into professionals, carrying the lessons they learnt in her classroom into hospitals, schools, offices and other workplaces.
Mrs Adotei said she had encountered former pupils who were now doctors, nurses, teachers and even a lawyer.
For a teacher, she said, such moments bring a special kind of satisfaction and reinforce the reason she remains passionate about education.
Her journey, however, has not been without difficult moments.
Teaching in local communities sometimes meant dealing with circumstances that went beyond academic work. Some pupils needed encouragement, personal attention and practical help before they could even settle down to learn.
Those experiences taught her that the challenges confronting people cannot always be solved from a distance. That understanding has followed her into her political activities.
Mrs Adotei has been involved in the NDC for years and previously served as a branch treasurer. She has also supported women in her branch, including assisting some to access medical treatment and providing help to families when the need arose.
She is now making her third attempt at becoming the constituency’s Women’s Organiser.
Her motivation is linked to what she has seen around her.
Mrs Adotei wants women in the constituency to have access to skills and opportunities that can help them become more economically independent.
She believes her years as a teacher have prepared her for the work, too, because the profession has taught her to listen, communicate, understand different circumstances and work patiently with people.
For her, the transition from teacher to political organiser is therefore not a complete departure from the path she has followed.
The classroom taught her to work with individuals. Politics, she hopes, will give her the opportunity to work with a wider group of women.
If elected, Mrs Adotei intends to continue teaching while taking up her political responsibilities. She said she would organise her time to attend meetings and constituency activities without abandoning her duties to her pupils.
Away from school and politics, she is a wife and mother of two sons who are pursuing their degrees at university.
Her message to young girls is shaped by everything she has seen education do for the children she has taught.
For Mrs Adotei, education remains one of the strongest tools available to young people, especially girls seeking to build better futures.
She wants them to stay in school, pursue further education and acquire skills that will prepare them for the future.
“Nowadays, you cannot go forward without education,” she said.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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