Tributes to beloved instructor, daughter!

The “Independence Week” as I called the week of March 6, 2025, in the “Ghana Month”, was a busy one for me with back-to-back activities.

Saturday, March 8, 2025, saw me at the Dansoman St Margaret-Mary-Catholic-Church for the Burial Mass of ex-WO1 Vincent Yobanya.

Twenty-four hours earlier on Friday, March 7, I had spent the day at the Teshie-Camp Methodist Presbyterian Church (TCMPC) at the funeral of a 46-year-old young lady.

Sheila Dzifa Dordunoo was the daughter of my mate, Lt Col Seth Dordunoo (Rtd).

I was, therefore, not surprised when at my routine medical checks the following week, with a funny smile on his face, my doctor told me, “Sir, you need to slow down.

You do not rest enough!” We had been at Dansoman together four days earlier for the funeral of ex-WO1 Yobanya, so he had fresh evidence to support earlier charges.
What I sensed he tried hard not to say was “Sir, you are no more the young energetic commanding officer of the Ghana Military Academy a quarter of a century ago when I was your cadet!

Now, you have entered ‘septuagenarian-hood’!” Indeed, when he suggested I needed a holiday outside, I thought he was going to prescribe for me a two-week all-expenses-paid holiday by a philanthropist to Dubai/any other exotic destination Ghanaians love!

Dzifa

Dzifa was based in Belgium with her husband and four children.

While on a short flight from Brussels to Copenhagen, Denmark in February 2025, she died on board the flight.

Her funeral in Belgium, which was broadcast live on Zoom here at her church in Ghana at the 48 Engineer Regiment, Teshie, drew lots of tears both home and abroad.

She was described at her funeral service in Belgium as a caring Ghanaian who went out of her way to welcome new Ghanaians and help them settle down in the challenging new environment.

She was also a towering member of her church, serving God and humanity with humility. Dzifa was laid to rest in Belgium.

a memorial/thanksgiving service at the Teshie-Camp Methodist Presbyterian Church, the chaplain described Dzifa as a unifier who did not only preach unity but always worked towards peace and harmony.

Ex-WO1 Yobanya

Before discussing him, the tribute to Ex-WO1 Vincent Yobanya by Regular Career Course Intake 15, commissioned in July 1973 read as follows:

● In 1970, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) embarked on a new project for the training of its future officers. Among others, the aim included the upgrade of the entry requirement into the Ghana Military Academy from the General Certificate of Education (GCE O Level), to the General Certificate of Education Advance Level (GCE Advance Level), for the training of officers. The programme was called the Regular Officers Training Scheme (ROTS).

● To this end, 39 boys from schools all over Ghana who had just successfully passed their GCE “O” Level, were selected and sponsored by the GAF to do a two-year Sixth form course for their advanced level at the Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS), Takoradi from 1970 – 1972.

● To train these student cadets in basic military subjects, a team of Military Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers was seconded to GSTS. One of them was a Drill instructor, the then WO2 Vincent Yobanya. Like all Drill instructors, he had a serious unsmiling face and a stern look. However, we soon discovered that underneath that tough exterior lay a very humane, sympathetic and soft underbelly of kindness.

● Like students have nicknames for all teachers, we nicknamed him “Fak-sit,” a coinage he himself had generated when he accused us of that response to pieces of advice he gave us. Apart from being an excellent Drill instructor who took us through the rudiments of drill, he was a father whose interest in us made him a confidante to us.

● In later years when he retired from the Armed Forces, he worked at the State Housing Corporation. It was his joy to welcome any of us who went there and he happily introduced us to his colleagues as officers he had trained.

● Our dear ex-WO1 Vincent, as Timothy said in 2 Timothy 4, 7-8, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day.”

This is exactly what you have done. Our dear “Fak-sit,” Intake 15 says: Rest in perfect peace! Adieu! Adieu!! Rest in the bosom of the Lord! Amen.

Personal life

Born at Nator near Wa in the Kaleo District of the Upper West Region in 1935, ex-WO1 Vincent Yobanya did not have the opportunity of any formal education.

However, his determination and self-discipline led him to teach himself to read and write.

Thereafter, as a young man, he travelled to Kumasi where he dedicated himself to self-education until he attained full functional literacy. In 1957, attracted by the uniform, he joined the Ghana Army as a mechanic.

Among others, he served in Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah’s “President’s-Own-Guards Regiment” (POGR) between 1963-1966 when it was disbanded following the coup that overthrew Osagyefo on February 24, 1966.

Among the thousands of mourners who filled the huge St Margaret Mary Church were a huge contingent of doctors, nurses, soldiers and Defence Civilian Staff from the 37 Military Hospital where the deceased’s son is a lieutenant colonel.

The State Housing Corporation where ex-WO1 Yobanya worked after retiring from the army was heavily represented.

Officers and Men of the Armed Forces were there in their numbers and so was the association of his townsmen/women from Nator resident in Accra.

Officers of Regular Career Course Intake 15, his former student cadets in 1970-1972, were also represented.

Discussion

In his book titled Alan Quartermain, the English writer Sir Rider Haggard wrote;

“The great Wheel of fate rolls on like a Juggernaut and crushes us all in turn;
some soon, some late.

It does not matter when. In the end, it crushes us all.” While ex-WO1 Yobanya died at a ripe old age of 90, Dzifa died at only 46, giving credence to Sir Haggard’s quote.

As if the Presbyterian Chaplain at Teshie-Camp Methodist-Presbyterian Church and the Rev. Father at the Dansoman St Margaret-Mary Church had rehearsed together, they preached identical homilies about ex-WO1 Vincent Yobanya and Dzifa Dordunoo. Both were said to be unifiers, humble and dedicated their lives to serving God and humanity.

They were both described as firm, humane and disciplined.

They asked the congregation to lead lives like the two did.

They both described humanity as “pilgrims” sojourning through this world only briefly.

May the souls of ex-WO1 Vincent Yobanya and Sheila Dzifa Dordunoo, RIP.

Leadership, lead by example! Fellow Ghanaians, wake up!

The writer is a Former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association,
Nairobi, Kenya/Council Chairman, Family Health University,
Accra.

E-mail: dkfrimpong@yahoo.com