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Padmore Enyonam Agbemabiese (born 1952, Abor, Volta Region, Ghana) is a Ghanaian poet, scholar and lecturer in the Department of African American and African Studies at Ohio State University. [1] [2]
At Primary 5, he passed the Common Entrance Examination and left for secondary school at Sogakofe in September 1965. In December that same year, tragedy struck when his father suffered a stroke, and young Padmore Agbemabiese had to return home to take care of his sick father. After being with his father for almost four years he went back to continue with his college education. About three months into the school year, on December 14, 1969, his father died leaving Agbemabiese and his siblings orphans. At the age of 17, he began working odd jobs, farming, raising poultry, and goats, in order to save money to go back to college again. After two years, he enrolled in Abor Secondary School, a community infant school, for his O-Levels. He worked so hard that in 1974 he scored Division One at the GCE "O" Level becoming the first student to score such a high grade since the inception of the school.
He decided to go to Peki Government Teacher Training College to become a teacher. Unfortunately, the then Vice Principal of the college, Mr. Tawiah, looking at his excellent grades at the "O" Level, talked him out of it and helped him go to Kpandu Secondary School for his A-Levels. Young Padmore Agbemabiese continued writing poems and plays, and visiting schools and colleges to raise money for his needs. With no one to support his efforts, his grandmother, Madam Afeafa Fiador-Agbemabiese, a traditional dirge singer, took him in and ensured that he acquired literacy in the traditions and customs of the Ewes alongside his formal school education. He was able to pass the GCE Advanced Level exams.
Agbemabiese received four undergraduate degrees from the University of Ghana, Legon. He graduated at the top of his class in English, drama, theater arts, journalism and public relations.
Years later[ when? ] he was admitted to The Ohio State University (US), where he received his master's degree in African American and African studies. At The Ohio State University, Padmore Agbemabiese completed his combined master's degree in one year and received the Gwen Kagey Award for High Academic Achievement. He was offered another scholarship to do his Ph.D. in English. Within 3 years he completed his Ph.D. in English and went on to do two other doctorate degrees in education and African American and African studies. When Padmore Agbemabiese arrived at The Ohio State University to do his master's degree, he was offered a lectureship. Thus, while pursuing his graduate studies, he was also a lecturer in English and African literature. [3]
After graduating from the University of Ghana, he worked at various jobs. He taught at Sogakope L. A. Middle School, Zion Secondary School at Anloga and Awudome Secondary School at Tsito-Awudome in the Volta Region of Ghana. Later, he became a journalist with the Ghanaian Times Corporation, in the Sogakope, Keta, Denu, Abor and Aflao area.
He was the first journalist to open the southern Volta Region to news reporting and won admiration for his articles and reportage. He was also a news reporter for Ghana Radio and TV and a regular contributor-poet for the GBC 2 radio program Voices of Our Times, hosted by Gerthrude Opare-Addo for more than ten years. However, he was best known for his Ewe poems on Ewe Hakpanyawo a GBC Radio One program hosted by Komivi Adatsi on Saturdays and repeated on Wednesday evenings. In 1985, Agbemabiese assisted a Task Force that initiated the Ghana Tourism '86.
Later, he was commissioned by the National Commission on Culture to open cultural centers at Anlo, Tongu and Keta districts. His hard work brought cultural programmes and offices to Sogakope, Keta, Akatsi and Denu districts. He helped organize the Pan African Historical Festival (PANAFEST) and worked there for a while. He was part of the organizers of Ghana Inter-Tourism 1986. He assisted in 1986 to refine the Anlo Hogbetsotso Festival.
Agbemabiese is the co-founder of the College of Education International Club, and its vice president. He is also a member of the National Council of Teachers of English, USA and a member of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (Ghana).
He is currently a full professor of English and literature at a university[ which? ] in the US.
Over the years, he became a renowned bilingual poet. He has written and published in both English and Ewe. Some of his poems have been translated into Swahili and Hindu. His Ewe titles include Senyee Wom Alea (1996) and Migblem Di Kpo (1996), while his English titles include "Letter to the Judge" (2013), "Can You Give Me Your Heart" (2012), Prophecy (1999), With Guns and Roses (1999), Voyages (2003) and The Smell of Exile. He has also published critical essays, short stories and poems in various newspapers and journals including Essence Magazine , Come Into Our Whirl, African Weekender and Taj Mahal Review (India). He also has two novels, "Go Ask Grandma" (2002), and "Why Can't Anybody Hear Me When I Cry?" (2004).
He has published numerous books of poetry, prose and articles on education in developing countries of the world.
Currently, Agbemabiese is involved in a series of research projects, paramount among which is "The Study of Anlo-Ewe Proverbs and Appellations as Principles of Argumentative and Persuasive Discourse". This project embodies an interpretive and theatrical study of aspects of literary traditions created and nurtured by the Ewes of Ghana. The study involves investigation of their mode of existence, their distinctive styles of presentation and their significance as crucial elements of contemporary discourse related to socio-economic and political transformation of the Ewes and Africans at large
Keta is a coastal town in the Volta Region of Ghana. It is the capital of the Keta Municipal District.
Volta Region is one of Ghana's sixteen administrative regions, with Ho designated as its capital. It is located west of Republic of Togo and to the east of Lake Volta. Divided into 25 administrative districts, the region is multi-ethnic and multilingual, including groups such as the Ewe, the Guan, and the Akan peoples. The Guan peoples include the Lolobi, Likpe, Akpafu, Akyode, Buem, Nyagbo, Avatime, and Nkonya. This region was carved out of the Volta Region in December 2018 by the New Patriotic Party. The people of the Volta Region are popularly known as Voltaians. This group includes the Ewes, Guans and other minor tribes living in the Volta Region. The people of the Volta Region are popular known for their rich cultural display and music some of which include Agbadza, Borborbor and Zigi.
Francis Anani Kofi Lodonu is a Ghanaian Roman Catholic Bishop. He was the bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Ho until his retirement in 2015.
Ferdinand Kwasi Fiawoo was a Ghanaian religious minister, playwright and educator, founder of Zion College, the first secondary school in Ghana's Volta Region.
Keta Lagoon, also called Anlo-Keta lagoon, is the largest of the over 90 lagoons that cover the 550 km stretch of the coastline of Ghana. This lagoon is 126.13 km in length. It is located in the eastern coast of Ghana and separated from the Gulf of Guinea by a narrow strip of sandbar. This open salty water is surrounded by flood plains and mangrove swamps. Together they form the Keta Lagoon Ramsar site which covers 1200 km2
Abor is a town in the Keta Municipal District of the Volta Region in southeast Ghana. Abor lies east of the Volta River and just north of the Keta Lagoon. Abor is known for Abor Senior High School, often referred to as ABORSCO. The school is a second cycle institution.
Anloga is a town in Anloga District of the Volta Region in southeast Ghana. It lies east of the Volta River and just south of the Keta Lagoon. Anloga is the forty-seventh most populous town in Ghana, in terms of population, with a population of 35,933 people and. and also serves as the seat of the Awormefia of Anlo State and the traditional, ancestral and spiritual capital of the Anlo Anlo Ewe.
Anyako is a town in the Volta Region of Ghana. It is bordered at the south by the Keta Lagoon. The inhabitants of the town mainly belong to the Ewe tribe. Tracing its establishment to a settlement founded by the Anlos during the migration from Notsie in present-day Togo. The town is the birthplace of Ghanaian-American artist El Anatsui. The town has had little to no growth over the past thirty years due to sea erosion which affected commercial activities.
Anlo Afiadenyigba is a town in the Volta Region of Ghana. The town is located on the eastern part of the Keta Lagoon.
Peki is a town in the South Dayi District in the Volta Region of Ghana. It comprises eight subtowns, each with a subchief - Tsame, Avetile, Afeviwofe, Blengo, Dzake, Wudome, Dzobati and Adzokoe. All of these subchiefs swear allegiance to a paramount chief known as Deiga. The current paramount chief is Deiga Kwadzo Dei XII. The town is known for the Peki Secondary School, the E.P Seminary and the government training college GOVCO. The school is a second cycle institution.
The Hogbetsotso festival(pronounced Hogbechocho) is celebrated by the chiefs and people of Anlo in the Volta Region of Ghana. Some major Anlo towns include Anloga (capital), Keta, Kedzi, Vodza, Whuti, Srogboe, Tegbi, Dzita, Abor, Anlo Afiadenyigba, Anyako, Konu, Alakple, Atsito, Atiavi, Deʋegodo, Atorkor, Tsiame and many other villages. The festival is celebrated annually on the first Saturday in the month of November at Anloga, the customary and ritual capital of the Anlo state. The name of the festival is derived from the Ewe language and translates as the festival of exodus. or "coming from Hogbe (Notsie)". The celebration of the festival was instituted about four decades ago.
St. Paul's Senior High School or St. Paul's Boys College, formerly St. Paul's Secondary, is a Ghanaian boys' senior high school located at Hatsukope-Denu in the Ketu South Municipal District of the Volta Region.
Alakple is a town in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region of Ghana. This town is situated along the south western part of the Keta lagoon. The bust of the prominent African American boxer Muhammad Ali is planted at the junction along the Anloga and Dabala road. That road leads to Alakple. This town is prominent for the historical role it plays in the area. It is the home of the Nyigbla, 'god of war' who rode on horseback. The major clan in the town is Ameawo who are the custodians or clan responsible for nugbidodo 'settling disputes'. They are also believed to have control of all palm trees in Anloland. As custodians of Torgbi Nyigbla there are many taboos related to their dressing and food. for instance they are forbidden to wear shirts or blouse and sandals within the shrine.
Ferdinand Koblavi Dra Goka (1919-2007) was a Ghanaian teacher and politician. He was a Volta Regional minister, and as Ghana's second finance minister during the first republic. He is often credited as the man who changed the name of Trans Volta Togoland to the Volta Region.
St. Mary's Seminary/Senior High School (SMASCO), formerly St. Mary's Seminary Secondary School, is a boys-only second cycle institution in Lolobi, in the Oti Region of Ghana.
Daniel Ahmling Chapman Nyaho was a Ghanaian statesman, diplomat and academic. He was the first African appointee at the United Nations. He served as the Secretary to the cabinet in the first Convention People's Party government which shared the colony's administration with the colonial government. He also served as Ghana's ambassador to the United States of America and Ghana's permanent representative to the United Nations. In 1958, he became the first Ghanaian headmaster of Achimota College.
The Sagbadre War was a brief punitive expedition carried out by Denmark-Norway and its native allies against the Anlo Ewe.
Paul Kwame Nkegbe is a Ghanaian politician and military officer. He served as Commissioner for Education, Culture, and Sports, Commissioner for Industries, Commissioner for Agriculture and Commissioner for Health in Ghana.
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