Solomon Forjoe Biography

BIOGRAPHY OF SOLOMON ABEKU FORJOE

Solomon Abeku Forjoe was born on Wednesday, May 4, 1960, the fifth of six children of Mr. Benjamin Kofi Nyameke Amoah Forjoe, a doyen of Ghana’s intelligence services and career diplomat, and Madam Grace Amahla Heman-Ackah, an entrepreneur. Being the fourth of five boys, he was privileged to have a ready-made path to follow, and his formative years were filled with the comfort and security of a warm family.

He was three years old when he was enrolled in Mrs. Felicia Agyeman’s Kindergarten School, in Ringway Estates, off the Independence Avenue and close to their home. At that tender age, Abeku was already a curious child with the attributes of a fast learner. This made him a favourite of his teachers and caregivers.

In 1965, he entered Christ the King International School, Accra for his elementary education. During this period, he developed an insatiable appetite for reading and excelled academically. His very superior Intelligence Quotient (IQ) in Class 3 led his teachers to recommend his promotion to Class 5 at the end of that academic year. After passing his Common Entrance exams, Abeku was admitted into Mfantsipim in 1971. He obtained his General Certificate in Education (GCE) Ordinary Level certificate in 1976 and proceeded to Tema Secondary School for his GCE Advanced Level Certificate in 1978. 

Throughout his primary and high school education, Abeku developed and built upon the innate qualities of his personality. He was easy to get along with and quick to mischief. He was good-humoured, well-read, and witty and took delight in poking benign fun at others. He was gracious enough to endure the same when those he teased retaliated. This trait earned him numerous friendships and acquaintances, most of which lasted throughout his lifetime. 

In the Fall of 1978, Abeku gained admission to the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ghana, where he studied Sociology, Philosophy, and Ancient History. These subjects were very much in his stride, being the avid reader, he was. Indeed, even before entering the university, Solomon was already acquainted with the writings of the likes of Rene Descartes, Friedrich Nietzsche and Khalil Gibran, and the university allowed him to expand his knowledge. He also added to his lengthy list of life-long relationships during his time in Legon.

Abeku’s childhood curiosity transformed into a thirst for adventure as he grew older. He travelled to the UK in the 1980s where he experienced the ravages of life in the diaspora. He worked and lived in London for a while before deciding to return home.

On his return to Ghana in the mid-80s, Abeku worked as a business development advisor for one of Ghana’s leading gift shops, Tapes & Cards (now Placito) at Adabraka. He also worked with Inter-Afrique Holdings Ltd in the early 90s, whilst carrying on a side gig of distributing Dunlop tires. Within the same period, Abeku decided to hone his natural skills in writing and took a course at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ). He later worked for The Statesman newspaper as a Sub-Editor.

During the Christmas season of 1992, Abeku attended a party at White Sands, Gomoa Fetteh where he met a certain Louisa Yemisi Parker who literally swept him off his feet. She in turn, was awed by his sheer brilliance and facility with the spoken word. A whirlwind romance ensued, and they got married in 1993. The couple did not vegetate; they quickly got down to business and in the Summer of 1994, they welcomed their beautiful daughter Yaaba. Sadly, the marriage ended in 1999, but the couple maintained a very cordial relationship, characterized by mutual respect. 

One of his most enduring acts was to walk Yaaba down the aisle when she wedded Rodney Longdon in June this year. How timely this singular act turned out to be.

 In 2017, Abeku met Harriet Martinson with whom he had his second child, a son Kojo Nyameke Amoah – proudly named after his brother and father.

Human as he was, Abeku battled with his demons. His story is the classic exposition of the triumph of mind over matter. His path was strewn with episodes that required rehabilitation in specialized facilities, but like the mythical Phoenix he would always “rise from the ashes in freshness of youth and live through another cycle of years.”

In his later years, he devoted a good deal of his time helping people who had fallen prey to the challenges he had been through, with learnings from his experience. At the turn of the millennium, he helped establish the Ghana Substance Abuse Recovery Programme (GSARP), inspired by the legendary South African musician, Hugh Masekela and other notable persons such as Professor Edward S Ayensu, Mrs. Aurore Selormey, Mr. Roland Roberts, and Derek Obuobi. The flagship achievement of the Programme was sending Ghanaian musician Kiki Gyan of Osibisa fame to South Africa for rehabilitation.

Abeku had always been a religious person who strongly believed in God. He disagreed with Nietzsche’s atheist philosophy, even though he was in tune with other aspects of his work. In 2016 he answered the Call and enrolled in the Trinity Theological College, where he trained for the priesthood. He lived the pastoral life as a lay preacher and free-lance evangelist till he was called to meet his maker. He was indeed an emblem of reborn hope.

Abeku is survived by his daughter Yaaba, son Kojo Nyameke Amoah, brothers Ben Jr, Paul, and Kojo as well as extended family members.

As we say our final goodbye to our son, brother, father, cousin, uncle, and beloved family member, we pray for God to grant him the peaceful repose he deserves in his almighty bosom.