The late Samuel Kwame Nuamah, the Ghanaian Times Presidential Correspondent who met his untimely death in line of duty, will be laid to rest this Thursday at the Osu Cemetery in Accra.
Nuamah, 37, died in a gory accident involving the Presidential Press Corps at the Doryumu Junction in the Greater Accra region on August 20, after covering the President at an event in the Volta Regional capital, Ho.
Nuamah, who is succeeded by a wife and a two-year-old son will be laid in state at the fore court of the State House in Accra at 7:00am before his final interment at 9am
When Nuamah woke up in the morning of August 20 to join his colleagues for the presidential assignment, little did he know that he was covering the President for the last time.
The team of reporters and cameramen travelled to Ho in the Volta Region to cover the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church which the president was attending as a special guest.
On their return journey, however, the GMC Savanna vehicle on which they were, travelling burst a tyre on reaching the Shai Hills Resource Reserve at Doryumu, Junction on the Akosombo-Tema highway. The driver allegedly applied the brakes, causing the vehicle to somersault.
Nuamah, who was busily writing his story on his laptop, was thrown out into a ditch and the vehicle landed on him, killing him on the spot.
Samuel Nuamah joined The New Times Corporation on November 1, 2007, having earlier worked as a cub reporter.
His death came as a shock to many with President John Mahama expressing uttermost concern Nuamah’s death featured prominently in media discussions after the accident, in which 11 other journalists of the presidential press corps were injured.
Meanwhile, many people from all walks of life signed the book of condolence opened in his memory, with heartfelt condolences to the family, employers and the inky fraternity in general, for the loss of the writer.
President John Mahama during the observation of the One week ceremony said he was “gutted” by the death of Samuel Nuamah, saying he was a journalist dedicated to his job.
“Samuel, I’m so gutted by your death. Six years of dedicated service with my office and it all ends in such a waste of your life. Fare Thee Well. Rest in Peace!” Mr. Mahama wrote in the book of condolence.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Ekow Spio-Gabrah, signing the book of condolence prayed the death of Nuamah be a divine one because God probably “needed young, talented and accomplished journalist to join the heavenly media corps.
“We can only pray that when the Lord Almighty chooses to mobilize a young, talented and accomplished journalist to join the heavenly media corps, then it must be promotion from a presidential press corps” he wrote.
Media watchers said Nuamah’s death should serve as a wake up call to ensure better treatment for journalists’ assignment, as the circumstances leading to his death, they said, were preventable.
Some of the sympathisers said Nuamah’s death could be the turning point in the treatment of journalists in the country, while expressing the hope that such “preventable” accidents, would never recur in the anals of journalism in Ghana.
The opposition New Patriotic Party, in the condolence signed on its behalf by its Communications Director, Nana Akomea said: “Sam! Such a terrible loss. Your departure must certainly lead to changes that would prevent other misfortunes”.
Two organizations- the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and the Ghana Police Service- and one individual, Professor Lade Wosornu, have so far donated to the endowment fund established to support the education of the late Nuamah’s two year old son Josiah Nhyira Nuamah.
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