BIOGRAPHY OF THE LATE ROBERT ASAMOAH-GYEKYE
“I have fought the fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, from now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge will award to me on that day .” (II Timothy 4:7) This website provides an opportunity not only to bid farewell to our dearly beloved Robert Kwame Asamoah-Gyekye on his homeward journey in response to the eternal home call, but also to celebrate the quality of life generously granted him through the grace of God; and now bequeathed to us.
HIS BIRTH
The late Robert Asamoah-Gyekye of the Kra-Ntori Aduana Royal Family of Kunsu was born on the 3rd of January 1970 at the St Elizabeth Hospital Hwidiem in the Brong Ahafo Region. His parents are Mr. Robert Gyekye of Senfi–Dominasi near Asante Bekwai and Madam Catherine Asante (aka Afia Agyapomaa) of Kunsu near Mankranso, Ashanti. Kwame was the fifth child of the six children of his mother.
HIS EDUCATION
He started his formal education at Kunsu Local Authority Primary School at the age of 5years (1975). The mother being a trained teacher was transferred to Tepa in the Ashanti Region in 1981 so Kwame started his Middle School Education at Tepa R/C in the same year. Kwame demonstrated his brilliance in academic performance very early in his life and with the help of his mother he wrote and passed the Common Entrance Examination in 1982 whiles he was only in form one at the Middle School. So at the tender age of Twelve years he started his secondary education at Tepa Secondary School. Kwame Completed his O Levels in 1987 and moved on to do his A’ Level at Konongo Odumasi Secondary School between 1987 and 1989. After his one year National Service, he entered the University of Cape Coast in 1990 to read a degree in bachelor of Commerce (B. Comm). He successfully completed his first degree in 1994 and came out with First Class Honours.
He did his National Service at the Consultancy Unit of the University of Cape Coast as an Assistant Project Coordinator. In 1995 he left Ghana for England in pursuit of higher educational qualifications. He started his professional accountancy course (Association of Certified Chartered Accountants) at Emile Woolf Colleges in London and became a Chartered Accountant in 1998. He also obtained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (Finance Option) from the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside in 1997. So at the very young age of 28 years Kwame had a First Class degree - Bachelor of Commerce, had an MBA in Finance and was a Fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (FCCA). Kwame’s biography cannot be complete without mentioning some of the difficulties he had to go through to achieve these enviable successes in education. Throughout his secondary education at Tepa, he used to work as a shoe shine boy to supplement the efforts of his parents in the payment of his school fees. He also learnt the trade of making paper bags and took them to the market to sell. During his Advanced Level school days, he used to walk a distance of about 8 kilometers (from Abrepo Junction to Ahmadya Secondary School, Kumasi) to attend vacation classes. While in London he would routinely work for three consecutive days and nights without sleeping, all in an effort to raise money to pay for his school fees.
HIS PROFESSION & CAREER
As a patriotic Ghanaian, Kwame returned to Ghana in September 1998 in order to contribute his quota to the development of his beloved motherland; after equipping himself with all the necessary educational qualifications. He started his professional career with KPMG (Ghana) as an audit Team Leader in September 1998. Some of the companies he audited were Ghana Breweries Limited, Ghana Leasing, Minproc Pty. Golden Ridge Resources, Centenary Gold and Bonsu Gold.
In October 1999, he left KPMG for Anglogold Ashanti Ltd (Formerly, Ashanti Goldfields Plc.) where he held a number of finance and audit positions over a period of six years as deatailed below. He started his career with Anglogold as an Internal Audit Manager at the Anglogold Group Office in Accra (Gold House). Due to his humility, honesty, dedication and hardwork he was promoted to the position of Head of Internal Audit at the Obuasi Mine in August 2000, a position he held for twenty months. In August 2002 he was transferred from the internal audit department to the finance department as the budget manager for the Obuasi Mine. Just after 4 months in budget he was promoted again to the position of Chief Accountant of the Obuasi Mine. He played this role until he surprisingly resigned from the Anglogold Group in May 2005 to take up a three year contract of employment with the Ministry of Health. He was the Finance Manager of UNDP (United Nations Development Projects) and ADB (African Development Bank) Health Rehabilitation Project. After the expiration of the UNDP/ADB contract in April 2008, he joined Lagray Chemical Company (a pharmaceutical company in Accra) as the Head of Finance and Administration.
Due to the good image he created for himself at the Obuasi Mine through his good works he was approached by the Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU) of TUC to manage their support scheme on their behalf. He therefore left Lagray to join the GMWU in October 2009. On his arrival at the Support Scheme he immediately conceived a vision of building a universal bank for the GMWU and started working towards that goal. He set up an investment company for GMWU to be named MineworkersInvestments Ltd and became the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company. Today Mineworkers Investments Ltd can proudly boast of a Savings and Loan Company called Golden Pride Savings and Loans Limited, a real estate and vehicle and equipment hiring company called Precious Logistics and Real Estates Limited as well as majority shares in Unique Insurance Company Ltd. He has received a lot of praises for establishing these companies within a short time especially the savings and loans Companybut it is worth noting that his long term vision was a bank and he would have done it if not his untimely demise.
HIS ENTREPRENEURAL LIFE
Kwame was a distinguished entrepreneur and demonstrated this very early in his life. At the age of twelve years he was a shoe shine boy at Tepa. He later entered into the art of making paper bags with used cement bags and selling them in the market. A few years after marriage Mr. and Mrs. Asamoah-Gyekye started a crèche in their uncompleted house at Ashogman, Accra. With time the crèche was relocated to their boys’ quarters. A few years later a primary school was added to the crèche and Mrs. Asamoah-Gyekye resigned from her work with the Ministry of Defence to concentrate on the management of the school. Today what started as a crèche in their outer house is now one of the good schools in Accra with a pre-school section, a primary school section and a junior High School section. The School has now grown sizeably well as a formidable educational institution in the area.
HIS FAMILY LIFE
Kwame was a family man. Whiles doing his national service at Cape Coast University in 1995 he met Miss Vida Fosu-Appiah (now Mrs. Vida Asamoah-Gyekye) and they became very good friends. Their relationship grew stronger and they got married in November 1998 when Kwame returned from England. They lived happily as husband and wife until his untimely death. Kwame left behind two children namely Nana Kwame Asamoah-Gyeke and Ayeyi Kofi Agyapong Asamoah-Gyeke. His children were very dear to his heart and their welfare and education were his number one priority in life.
Kwame had a very good relationship with his family members. He was a central pillar and a magnet to the family always making sure the family was united. His benevolence to family members knew no boundaries as he willingly and enthusiastically provided and cared for all including mother, father, brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunties and others. He was well respected by all family members and they always run to him in times of need. He served his family in the best way he knew how. He was a caring son, brother, father, husband and uncle.
HIS CHRISTIAN LIFE
Robert Asamoah-Gyekye was a devoted Christian and God fearing man. He was born and baptized into the Methodist Church but he later joined the Church of Pentecost during his school days at Tepa. On his return from the United Kingdom, he settled at Ashomang Estates with his wife and joined the ‘Jehova Shammah” Assemblies Of God Church - Atomic Hills Estates, Accra and worshiped there till he gave up his soul. He was very committed and dedicated to the church. He held many responsibilities in the church and handled them excellently. He supported the church the church members financially.
HIS PERSONALITY & CHARACTER
Kwame was a perfect gentleman in every sense of the word. He was respectful and well respected by all. In all his achievements and success he was as humble as a lamp. His kindness and generosity was not only limited to his family members but also to friends, colleagues, superiors, subordinates, employees and even to strangers.
CONCLUSION
Kwame led an exemplary life worthy of emulation by the old and the youth as well as the rich and the poor. His life was an infectious one and any serious minded person who came into contact with him learnt something good from him. Though he did not live long, he touched so many souls and his demise is not a loss to his family members alone but also to his friends, colleagues, employees and to mankind in general. Kwame felt sick on the dawn of Saturday 5th October 2013 and drove to hospital himself. Shockingly he gave up his soul in the afternoon of 6th October 2013 at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Accra. Indeed he fought a good fight, he competed well and finished the race. It is our fervent prayer that the Righteous Judge, the ever Merciful and Compassionate Lord will have mercy on his soul and award him the Crown of Glory on the last day.
MAY HIS CHERISHED SOUL REST IN PERFECT PEACE.
KWAME, DAMIRIFA DUE.