Journey well, Uncle Ebo

 “I am a man for several seasons. I was born virtually on a cocoa farm, raised in a rural setting and became cosmopolitan, once spending 13 and a half years living in Her Majesty’s Great Britain. That is not all the contradictions surrounding my personality.”

The above was how Mr Kobina Ebo Quansah would describe himself when he meets you for the first time and wants to engage you.

On other occasions, he describes himself as a ‘Rebel with a course.’

In my developmental period as a Sports Journalist, he hardly called me by my name. He would look at me and just say ‘Hey my friend, my friend without history, how are you?

I often referred to him as ‘Ebusua’ due to his affinity with Mysterious Ebusua Dwarfs, then a formidable Premier League club.

Such is the quality, selfless, friendly, good-humoured and experienced member of Ghana’s inky fraternity that would be interred today at the Ekumfi Ekrawfo Methodist Cemetery.

Uncle Ebo died on June 26, 2025 after a short illness and although he’s no more, his works and legacy would continue to shape the profession and guide the young and upcoming journalists aiming to make it to the very top.

Beyond his uninviting look, when he sat behind a computer at the Design Section of the New Times Corporation (NTC), writing some of his hardcore stories cutting across the various sectors, especially sports, Uncle Ebo’s mood can swing immediately if you happen to be one of his buddies.

Despite the good relationship I had with him, Uncle Ebo was bothered about the choice of teams I support.

On one free day, he sent for me; when I entered his office, he offered me a sit.

“Hey my friend, my friend without history,” I have a big problem with you; today you must explain to me why you support Accra Great Olympics and Manchester City, two teams without history.

When I smiled, he snapped “No don’t laugh, I must understand why you support two teams without history.”

For Uncle Ebo, as ‘Accra boy’, my choices should have been Hearts of Oak and Manchester United, the latter being his favourite club in the English Premier League.

Many years after these conversation, I met Uncle Ebo and after some pleasantries’, he told me “my friend, you now have history and continue to carve more history for yourself,” referencing the change in fortunes of the two Manchester clubs.

It was one of the funny moments shared with this man who taught his subordinates to be fearless and selfless.

Today, he is no more but his memories would linger on. He stood for justice, he wrote and spoke against corruption. Fare thee well Uncle Ebo till we meet again.