Kwaku Freduah Agyeman - A Tribute

By Yaw Twum-Barima

March 6, 2002

Kwaku, Damirifa due, due ne amanehunu!!!

It was with shock and sadness that I heard of the passing of Kwaku Agyeman (Serwaa House, 1962 -67). Kwaku was a very dynamic and visible member of the 1B to 3B class and later 4L to 5L. His nickname behind his back was staccato! He was all of 5ft 2ins tall and carried close to 180 lbs of muscles!!

The news of Kwaku’ death brings to mind my own vulnerability and a reminder of how uncertain life is for all of us. I can recall 2 vivid events that make me think of Kwaku.

In the 1960’s each form 1 class took Agriculture as a compulsory 1st year subject. Our Agric teacher the late Mr. Frimpong (Wofa K) divided the class into theory and practicals. The theory was taught in the class room each Monday and Thursday for our class (1B). For the practicals we were required to weed a portion of the school farm which at that time occupied the land on the North-East corner of the school between Chattanooga and the Bantama highway. Our class had our ‘practicals’ on Tuesday afternoons just before lunch (red plantain and beans alias Doddokyi). Each week after weeding Wofa K would judge our handiwork and give us marks. Kodua J.F (Ramseyer house, from Kumawu) was Wofa K’ golden boy and always scored top marks in weeding. Some of us including the smartest guy that I have ever met on this earth (namely Kumah J, now Mr. Opiah –Mensah ,New York), seemed to rub Wofa K the wrong way and always ended up with low marks.

Well one day Kwaku decided to see if he could be on Wofa K”s good side so he lined up right beside Koduah on the farm. Yaw Broni (Guggisberg), the other actor in the unfolding story also lined up on the other side of Koduah. You see Koduah had a tendency to “over-weed” his portion in order to garner more marks. Both Kwaku and Yaw were hoping that they could persuade Koduah to expand into their territory .As the weeding proceeded it became obvious that Yaw was winning. This naturally infuriated Kwaku who had devised this plan in the first place. As a result a big fight erupted between the two. On paper Yaw should have been no match for “Staccato” but surprise, surprise, Yaw Broni matched Kwaku blow for blow! The fight was so fierce but entertaining that Wofa K forbade anybody to separate the two. So with the backdrop of a hot Tuesday “ Monsoon Winds” from the kitchen we watched as the two Kumasi boys went at each other for nearly fifteen 15 minutes. No winner was declared but nobody dared to find out their marks for the day from Wofa K neither could anybody dare congratulate Yaw for standing up against Staccato!

That fight was later to be referred to as the original rumble and tumble in the Chattanooga jungle.

The sad note to this story is that with the passing of Kwaku, all the 3 actors in this epic have passed away. Wofa K died many years ago. Yaw Broni studied in England and moved back home to Ghana only to die from a motor vehicle accident less than a year later.

The second incident that reminds me of Kwaku took place in 1967. We were preparing for our “O” Level exams and one evening I was late to the dinning Hall. Traditionally form five students were excused during this busy time but on this fateful day Snr Britwum (now Dr Britwum, Accra), our outgoing Dinning Hall prefect decided to lock the door at exactly 6 pm. When I got to the gate he was just putting the locks on but despite my pleas he would not let me in. As I was arguing with him Kwaku appeared from his room from nearby Serwaa House. Now, Kwaku’s room was less than 50 feet from the dinning hall! This fact seemed to have infuriated Britwum even more. He slammed the gate and went back to the prefect’s table. Kwaku promptly proceeded to climb the gate and urged me to follow. Anybody who knows me will quickly know that I wouldn’t dare but on the urging of Kwaku I did. Just as I was jumping down Britwum reappeared and asked me and Kwaku forcibly to leave. A fierce argument ensued between the two of them with me as an observer. After a short while Kwaku invited Britwum to ‘take it outside’ if he was so inclined because he was in no mood to miss his supper that day. After sizing “Staccato” up and down for a while Britwum declined the invitation. So Kwaku saved my meal but Britwum deprived me of the second round of rumble and tumble of Serwaa (Britwum was also in Serwaah).

In 1978 just before I left Ghana, Kwaku invited members of our 1967/69 class to his house at Dansoman. Little did I know that it was the last time I would see him. I had the opportunity of recounting these two incidents at the time. Of course his interpretation of the outcome of the fight was quite different!

I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest sorrow to his widow and children back home in Ghana. I understand that plans are afoot to collect some money for his dependants and hopefully details of this plan will become available soon.Over to you Captain Bruce.

Kwaku damirifa due, due ne amanhunu. REST IN PEACE.