Togbui Badu IV, a king with passion for sports, arts, youth development

Call him a revolutionary and one would not be far from right.

Torgbui Badu IV, known in private life as Paul Kofi Dogboe, is a distinguished individual whose artistic talents have captivated many throughout his life.

In the pursuit of his aspirations, Torgbui Badu IV encountered numer­ous challenges, with dishonesty and questions of loyalty being among the most profound.

Reflecting on his experiences, he stated, “I struggle to understand humanity. When you give your all to support others, the outcome is often marked by dishonesty and disgrace.”

Despite these hurdles, Torgbui Badu IV remains a multi-talented, goal-oriented leader who is unwav­ering in his dedication to his com­mitments. His resilience ensures that once he takes on a responsibility, he sees it through to completion. His endeavours are centered on creat­ing a comfortable and fulfilling life not only for himself but also for his family, community, and those around him.

For people who are not privileged to know him at a personal level, the thinking is that his whole life re­volves around boxing; but that is not the case.

He is a multi-talented and goal ori­ented fellow that pursues his dreams to their logical conclusion and that reflects in his present stature, striv­ing to do a lot of things to make life comfortable for himself, family, peo­ple around him and the community.

Born to Rev. E.M.C. Dogboe and Mrs Celestine Fianu Dogboe some 52 years ago, Paul, as he’s affection­ately known, started life as a young ‘hard guy’ in Accra due to his strong passion for sports and unwavering determination.

Boxing career

His association with a former Commonwealth boxing lightweight champion, James Armah, alias Bukom Fire stimulated a special interest in boxing.

“I was actually not a fan of boxing but what sparked that interest was my friendship with Bukom Fire. Fire was my friend and because of him, I frequented Bukom to be with him and watch his training. Paul recalled his formative life with boxing to The Spectator.

Not long after, Paul traveled to the UK to seek greener pastures and pursue a dream to become a soldier.

That dream came to pass when he joined the United Kingdom Territory Army.

With the ex­perience gained during his days watching the training of Bukom Fire, Paul helped his Captain in the UK Territory Army to train boxers.

Whiles there, Paul completed his contract as a Building Advisor, but was left un­certain about his next move.

Driven by the longstanding passion to join the Army, he decided to give it a try. That plan had come up earlier but was shot down by uncles that showed no interest in their ward joining the army.

But he joined the British Army, and gladly, he was successful and passed out with flying colours.

“I was assigned to the workshop, from where I obtained certifications in Plant Operators, Heavy Goods Ve­hicle License, Truck-Mounted Crane License, a Two-Star Boxing Coaching License, and a Professional Trainer License.

To build on his expertise, Paul furthered his education by complet­ing a Building Management course and subsequently enrolled at South Bank University to study Construction Project Management.

But that was met by a situation that forced a decision he looks back now with utmost regrets.

“Just when the opportunity to further my education came, I re­ceived a call from 12- time World Heavyweight Champion James ‘Lights Out’ Toney, urging me to reconsider relocating to the United States with Isaac Dog­boe, my son. Consequent­ly, I deferred my university studies-a decision I still regret to this day,” he stated.

This was the period his real life with boxing started, training a num­ber of boxers including his son, Isaac Dogboe who grew up to become a WBO world champion after beating Jesse Magdaleno with an 11th round stoppage.

Management

As the ‘Jack of all trade’ per­son people knew Paul to be, he was a master of most. Beyond the technical nous of the sport, Paul successfully combined that with management and promotions as he established the Rising Stars Boxing Promotions Syndicate, an umbrella under which many top notch interna­tional events were held.

It was sad his boxing journey end­ed on a sour note as his son opted to train under a new technical and management team.

Despite the controversy that followed, Paul attempted to breathe life into his romance with the sport on return to Ghana, showing interest in a local boxer referred to as ‘Gyata bi’ (Wasiru Mohammed) but that relationship didn’t last.

Apart from Isaac, Paul tried to raise champions from his two other sons who showed promise at the onset but discontinued for some reasons.

Following his boxing career, he continued to expand his skill set, undertaking additional courses in refurbishment, house restoration, kitchen and bathroom fitting.

Aside this, there is another part of him a lot people are not aware of, that is, royalty.

In October 2023, the Klevie Clan of Anlo in the Volta Region installed him as the new chief under the stool name Torgbui Badu IV.

This follows several consultations. His installation ended 18 years of protracted litigation over the rightful successor of the late Tog¬bui Badu III, known in private life as Mr Joylet Kwabla Woanya.

On that day, he vowed to pro­mote unity and peace in the clan by addressing the issues that created disputes in the clan and protect properties and lands of the clan.

In his spare time, Paul loves applying his hands on art works like painting and drawings.

From an early age, he demon­strated exceptional skill in painting, working primarily with oil, acrylic on canvas, watercolor, and mixed media. His passion extended beyond art to sports and youth development, where he devoted himself to foster­ing self-reliance and empowerment among young people.

His legacy continues to inspire excellence in the domains of artistry, leadership, and community develop­ment.

By Andrew Nortey