A TRIBUTE TO THE VERY REVEREND PROFESSOR JOSHUA NARTEH KUDADJIE BY HIS 1951-1954 CLASSMATES
Mr. Thomas Amarlai Amartey, Mr. Andrew Ofoe Amegatcher, Mr. Samuel Narh Bruce, Mr. Joe Tetteh
"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them” Ecclesiastes 12:1, NIV
In January 1951, a group of 45 boys from the Ada District, of different Christian backgrounds, were admitted to Ada Foah Presbyterian Boys’ Boarding School, Bana or Salem, for a four-year academic course, under strict Presbyterian discipline. Among them was Narteh Kudadjie, a Methodist, slim and slightly taller than his age. Joshua, the only name we identified him with, from that time to his demise, took no time to stamp his academic authority over the class. From the beginning to the end, the first position became his birth right. In our time, the almighty Standard 7 Certificate reigned supreme and all Gold Coasters aspired for it - otherwise, one was not educated. But unknown to us, there was a quiet educational revolution going on: The Common Entrance had been introduced and hence one did not have to go to Standard seven before entering secondary school.
In 1953, while in Standard six, Joshua was among the boys who passed the Common Entrance Examination and attended an interview in Accra for admission to a secondary school of their choice. He was impressive at the interview and gained admission to Mawuli School, Ho. Regrettably, due to financial constraints, he could not take up the offer and the half bursary which came with it. He therefore proceeded to standard seven and obtained his Middle School Certificate.
But for God’s grace, it would have been the end of his formal education. However, he distinguished himself wherever he went. Therefore, after getting employment as a secretary in the Ministries after commercial school, he was spotted as good material for the job of parliamentary reporter. So, he left the typing pool for Parliament. In those days when there were no tape recorders, it was the duty of Joshua and his colleagues under the leadership of Mr. C. A. Lokko to capture verbatim the debates and other proceedings in Parliament on a daily basis.
In no time, in 1962/63, he had a chance to improve on his skills in the United Kingdom. All this time he was pursuing private studies in his spare time. In this, he was not alone. He fell into good company. His boss was studying privately to become a lawyer and did not discourage his subordinates from studying in their spare time or during parliamentary recess. Joshua took advantage of it. This is how some reporters or editors of debates of Joshua’s generation were able to make their mark later.
When we look back, almost seventy years, it is not surprising that despite great odds, he rose to become a graduate of the Universities of Ghana and Cambridge and to have become a professor of two universities and a distinguished clergyman. In fact, he had his religious side from his infancy. His father was one of the leading lights of the Faith Tabernacle Church in the Ada area. In the arena of sports, Joshua, the all-round boy, was also an accomplished high jumper, sprinter, and footballer.
THOMAS JAMES AMARLAI AMARTEY (Statistician and Retired Lecturer, GIMPA) adds:
Joshua and I were close friends. While mourning him, I cannot forget how we used to defeat the harsh regime of our seniors: They would ring the wake-up bell at the ungodly hour of between two to three in the morning and expect us to sweep the compound. Together with two others, namely, Messrs. Narh Bruce and Teye Dugbartey, we would escape to our “hide-out dormitory,” which is no other place than the Domestic Science block, to catch some more sleep before joining the others.
JOSHUA, I WISH YOU SAFE JOURNEY TO YOUR MAKER.
SAMUEL NARH BRUCE adds:
The Very Rev. Joshua N. Kudadjie and I were good friends. At age 6 years old, we went to the Ada-Foah Methodist Primary and Presbyterian Boys Boarding School together, where we obtained our school certificate in 1954. In 1970, I visited Rev. Kudadjie in London, the University of Cambridge, where Joshua was studying. I was happy to get back on track with Joshua in late 2018 through early 2019. I will always miss my good friend and brother.
May his soul rest in everlasting peace.
ANDREW OFOE AMEGATCHER adds:
Today, as we remember him, I am reminded of the death of my father some 37 years ago. While Joshua was a lecturer at the Department for the Study of Religions, University of Ghana, he assisted in the burial of my father, Mr. E.K. Amegatcher. As a result of my father’s personal convictions, he wanted a novel type of funeral in which the deceased would literally - bury himself. For that, he wrote and recorded his own funeral address, composed his own prayers - all in Dangme; also, he selected the hymns he wanted for the occasion. To breathe some life into all this and achieve some coherence, we called upon Joshua who directed the proceedings. Joshua translated the original text of the prayers and orations into English. Thus, while my father’s voice could be heard from the public address system, Joshua read the English translation for the benefit of non-Dangme speakers who were present at the burial service. Never did I imagine that I would l be at Joshua’s funeral today, to pay a tribute to him, and bear witness to the good and blessed life he led. I am honoured.
"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, NIV