Solomon Eulogy by MOBA 1976 Year Group

Soon Soon to Faithful Warriors Comes Rest

MHB 832 6th Stanza 2nd Line (Mfantsipim School Hymn)

The untimely death of our brother Solomon Forjoe brings to 40, the number who have passed on out of a class of 152 boys that entered Mfantsipim in September 1971.  We are known as the Centenary Year Group because we completed the first 5 years of study in 1976 when our great institution achieved 100 years of existence.  We like to refer to our group as Centurions.

It is a very daunting task and strange feeling writing a eulogy to our regular eulogist.

Geoge Carlin wrote “ I am always relieved when someone is delivering a Eulogy and I realize I am listening to it” Yes, our brother is listening to this one but from the other side marking our script.

Solo (as we have always called  him Solomon being too formal) was among the youngest and indeed smallest in our form but by no means weakest.  His eloquence and left-handed gestures made him larger than life. He was not a sportsman to Inter House or Inter School level but did play soccer, hockey  and some chaskele.

In form one Solo acted in a play written by Dr Martin Owusu, an old boy titled, “The Story Ananse Told” This play was acted with our sisters from Wesley Girls’, and we believe this gave Solo an in road to that School to do what boys would do.  Eventually though he married an Achimotan. 

If you knew Solo well, he wore very thick spectacles. This off course was a hinderance to participation in sports but had its advantage.

Solo managed to break his spectacles at least once a term which then enabled him get an exeat to go home to Accra for a new pair.  Whilst he returned with a new pair, we also enjoyed some of the goodies he brought back.

He was an avid reader and in later years became our form historian and walking google. 

We sailed together through 5 years at Mfantsipim, went our various ways, some back for another 2 years.  Solo went on to do his Sixth Form at Tema Secondary  School then on to Legon.

After Mfantsipim, we regrouped as Mfantsipim Old Boys under the umbrella of the Association. Solo was a keen member of the Centurions.  He was in and out of Ghana for some time but when he finally settled in Ghana, became an integral part of our group.

With the advent of social media, especially WhatsApp, our group has become closer with regular debates on Religion, Politics and Football.  Solo was a keen supporter of Manchester United and was loudest on the platform when they won a game but would vanish when they lost.

He was also a repository of information and news and as a result was given the name Reporter.

When news of Solo’s death trickled in members could not believe it and phoned around for confirmation. Has Reporter really passed on? We are still processing the information but alas it is true.

Since his passing we remember him on the platform whenever there is political news or football scores to discuss. 

Solo’s last post on our Form WhatsApp Platform 

9th October 2023 17:17

On the Pope asking for Peace in Gaza.

Reminds me of Philosophy 100 back in the day! Fallacies: Argumentum ad baculum vivid illustration:

After the end of World War 2, Stalin after conquering the German forces who had launched Operation Barbarossa to occupy and subdue the Soviet Union decided, after the loss of 20 million lives that never again would it be possible for the Rodina to be so easily overrun by the enemy! The Red Army after routing the Nazi forces marched on through Eastern Europe all the way to the streets of Berlin to create a buffer to  the homeland! At the post world war 2 conferences held at Potsdam Yalta and Teheran between the victorious allied forces i.e.  US, Britain and the Soviet Union, it was agreed that every country would withdraw their forces back to their pre-war positions! Every country withdrew their troops with the sole exception of the SU who flatly refused to do so despite massive pressure to comply! Finally out of exasperation the Pope made a strident appeal to Stalin! Do you know Stalin's response? Very dismissevely he asked. "And how many divisions does the Pope have?" That in short captures the essence of Argumentum ad Baculum also known as Appeal to Force! I am sure Netanyahu like Stalin before him will justify his refusal to listen to the Pope under the same fallacious reasoning 🤔😉🇮🇱🇵🇸🇷🇺

We all have our individual memories of our fallen brother. Excerpts from our platform. Others are available online.

Carlos put it succinctly. 

How d'you forget a larger-than-life, flamboyant, full of life, high-spirited, shoot from the hip, cognitively brilliant _kanawu_ chap like Solo? 😢 IMPOSSICANT! He's one of a kind!! Irreplaceable!!!👌👍🏾

Richie comments on someone post

Waa look...Okay. Post the whole video so we can all see and comment without judging! See who's talking 👄... you lucky say Solo dey for heaven like you go smell quelque chose 😤 🤔

Richie recalls:

I just remembered the morning OK announced at assembly- no one should go to the dorms after assembly till after classes. Solowiro & Richie told Form 1 boys Qush & I to ignore him. So, we went down & soaked. As we were sneaking back up past little apian way, who pops out of the woodwork shed…??? OK Monney. He directs us to his office, Solowiro & Richie tell us to go to class. That he will forget…

Hmmm…the rest….!!!

May Solowiro rest in perfect peace.

We love him, we miss him, we grieve him and so we live our lives to make him proud.

We shall miss that infectious smile.

Solo, Reporter  the good Lord grant you eternal rest.

Our condolences go out to the Forjoe family  Ben, Paul, Kojo. Harriet, Yaaba and young Kojo.

 

From the Centurions.