Dr. André Kofi Badohu
Co-Creator and former Custodian of the Baku Ayivor Family Tree.
Past Head of Family of Baku-Ayivor & Allied Families in Accra.
Past Chairman of the Executive Elders Council of Denu.
On Good Friday, 29th March 1929 at 9am in a relatively large town in Togo known as Kpalime in a lovely home opposite the chief’s house, a baby boy was born to Godfried Mensa Badohu and Rachel Konyiabu Borkloe. He was the 3rd child of his mother and 8th child of his father. He had 11 other siblings and was the last surviving one of his siblings. His parents decided to name him André Kofi Badohu. André was baptized in the Catholic Church in Kpalime and grew up in awe of the German catholic priests and the idea of being an altar boy.
Early Years and Education
He attended French elementary school in Kpalime till Standard Five. He really grew to love the church so much that he wanted to immediately go to Cotonou, Benin to join a seminary. His father was not keen on this and it was then that his brother John Kwami Badohu who had then already moved to Denu in Ghana, came and took him to Denu to attend Threetown Roman Catholic Middle Boys School from 1944 to 1947 where he completed Standard Seven.
On his completion of Standard Seven, André was one of three students that were selected to write an entry exam and upon excelling were given full government scholarships to enter Achimota School in January 1948. He was in Aggrey House and later became the House Prefect. He completed his A-Level examinations in 1953 and he was one of the very few members of the 1951year group still living until recently.
After completing A-level he taught at Keta Secondary School for a year. While there, he used to go to G.B. OLLIVANT stores in Keta for his monthly shopping, and it was there that he met his first, best and lifelong
friend, Mr. Christian Ahiabor of blessed memory. It was also during this period he met Francisca Bertha Afi Laryea-Tayko, also of blessed memory, with whom he had his first child Venance Raphael Kwami Badohu
on April 14, 1956 in Keta. In 1955, after a year of teaching, he left for Durham University, Newcastle, in the United Kingdom, on another government scholarship to read Medicine.
Working Life
He graduated six years later in 1961 and was employed by the Ministry of Health and posted to Korle-bu Teaching hospital in Ghana as a junior doctor to complete his Senior Housemanship. This is when he met an intelligent stunning slim Akyem young nurse who mesmerized him with her intellect, poise and confidence. Her name was Docia Doris Darko and after a four-year courtship she became Mrs Docia Doris Badohu when they got married on 16 April 1966. After completing his time at Korle-bu, Dr. André Kofi Badohu was posted to Effia-Nkwanta Government Hospital in Sekondi. He resigned after a few years to take
up employment with Ghana National Trading Corporation (GNTC) where he worked for a number of years as a resident Medical Officer. Subsequently, he decided to go into private practice and with his wife Docia being a Registered Midwife they started St. Andrews Clinic in Adabraka, off the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue.
As a General Practitioner, his private practice at St. Andrews Clinic grew quickly and successfully as a family practice where he looked after up to 4 generations of family members. He was also Company Doctor to many public and private companies such as G.N.T.C, Cocoa Marketing Board, Graphic Corporation, New Times Corporation. Ghana Publishing Corporation, British Petroleum (now Total Ghana Ltd.), Bank for Housing and Construction, Avery Ghana Ltd, Catholic Press, Apostolic Nuncio, Accra Catholic Diocese, Provident Insurance, Enterprise Insurance, State Insurance, Vanguard Assurance, Nationwide Insurance, NCR, Ghana Poultry Famers Association, Ghana Cooperative Council and so many others. He also was a shareholder in many of these companies and became Board Member and Chairman of several of these companies’ boards. It was through one of these companies that he met Mr Sylvanus Awuye of Avery Ghana Limited who became his other life-long friend and brother and to whom he felt a deep admiration, fondness and gratitude for his friendship.
Religious Life and Other Passions
Dr. André Badohu had a deep passion for three things in life. God and the Catholic Church, the practice of Medicine and then Farming.
He loved His God and the Catholic Church so much that he wanted to become a Catholic Priest and had made up his mind to join the seminary but for the intervention of his father who advised against it. His love for the church however never waned and only grew. As a member of Christ the King Catholic Church he served on the Parish Council and several societies and committees for several years. He was one of the oldest remaining members (52 years of service) of The Knights & Ladies of Marshall. He moved to the Mary Mother of Good Counsel Parish which was then an outstation of Christ the King Parish as a foundation member and remained there continuing to worship and provide service to the Catholic Church until his last days. He received his most cherished award, a lifetime Papal award from the Holy Father Pope John Paul II for meritorious service to the Catholic Church.
As a General Practitioner, his private practice at St. Andrews Clinic grew quickly and successfully as a family practice where he looked after up to 4 generations of family members. He was also Company Doctor to many public and private companies such as G.N.T.C, Cocoa Marketing Board, Graphic Corporation, New Times Corporation. Ghana Publishing Corporation, British Petroleum (now Total Ghana Ltd.), Bank for Housing and Construction, Avery Ghana Ltd, Catholic Press, Apostolic Nuncio, Accra Catholic Diocese, Provident Insurance, Enterprise Insurance, State Insurance, Vanguard Assurance, Nationwide Insurance, NCR, Ghana Poultry Famers Association, Ghana Cooperative Council and so many others. He also was a shareholder in many of these companies and became Board Member and Chairman of several of these companies’ boards. It was through one of these companies that he met Mr Sylvanus Awuye of Avery Ghana Limited who became his other life-long friend and brother and to whom he felt a deep admiration, fondness and gratitude for his friendship.
Religious Life and Other Passions
Dr. André Badohu had a deep passion for three things in life. God and the Catholic Church, the practice of Medicine and then Farming.
He loved His God and the Catholic Church so much that he wanted to become a Catholic Priest and had made up his mind to join the seminary but for the intervention of his father who advised against it. His love for the church however never waned and only grew. As a member of Christ the King Catholic Church he served on the Parish Council and several societies and committees for several years. He was one of the oldest remaining members (52 years of service) of The Knights & Ladies of Marshall. He moved to the Mary Mother of Good Counsel Parish which was then an outstation of Christ the King Parish as a foundation member and remained there continuing to worship and provide service to the Catholic Church until his last days. He received his most cherished award, a lifetime Papal award from the Holy Father Pope John Paul II for meritorious service to the Catholic Church.
Medicine was not only a field of study and profession for André. It was also where he could be of help to people, be a humanitarian, an innovator and a distinguished general practitioner. Medicine was André’s second love.
André was the National Vice President of the Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners (S.P.M.D.P) from 1989 -1991 after which he assumed National Presidency of the same society from 1991 to 1993. He was an Executive member of the Ghana Medical Association and an Editorial Board Member of the Ghana Medical Association Journal from 1986 to 1992. He was also a founding member and Executive Secretary and coordinator for the pension group and life assurance scheme P.A.G.L.A.S of the S.P.M.D.P. He was also a Fellow and examiner with the West African College of Physicians W.A.C.P.
André’s passion for the general well-being of the Ghanaian people especially their health, led him to initiate the establishment of the first private health insurance scheme, Nationwide Health Insurance, which has grown to be a trusted well renowned insurance scheme from which thousands benefit.
André received lifetime achievement awards from all these distinguished bodies and societies to which he gave his time, passion and dedication.
A hobby and third love of André’s was Farming. In 1972 he acquired over 30 hectares of land at Abutia Sebekope and decided to go into crop farming and animal husbandry. He constructed the road from Abutia town through Sebekope to Badohukope to make his dream more feasible and to help build the community. With the help of the Catholic diocese, he built a school and church for the community on the farm which immediately became a small village named Badohukope. He worked closely with The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research experimenting on ways of improving animal husbandry and crop farming in the area. This led to him introducing non-indigenous vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, green peppers and cabbage to the community. He also planted maize, plantain and introduced a particular new breed of cassava with a high yield and more resistance to pests and diseases to the community which is still known as ‘Badohu agbeli’ till present day. He went into very large oil palm farming which became his pride and joy and with mechanized farming of several tractors, combined harvesters etc., and for all these achievements, he won Second Best National Farmer (Oil Palm) in the Volta Region. He also reared large herds of cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. The 1983 bushfires that ravaged many areas of Ghana did not spare his farm as it destroyed a large part of it. This really devastated André causing him to lose interest in farming and focusing fully on his medical carrier.
Family Life
Family life was so important to André whether extended or nucleus family. In 1974 after the funeral of the late Ms Bridgit Kokui Hiheta at Denu, André and other family members in Accra decided to form a family Union to support the family elders at home and also unite the family and promote the development of Denu. Monthly meetings were held at St Andrews Clinic at Adabraka and later at his residence at Roman Ridge where the clinic had been relocated. This family union idea spread to Lomé and during Easter every year family members from Accra, Lomé and other towns assembled at the Denu beach for a picnic. These family unions became the pillars of the Baku-Ayivor Family and offered great support to the elders in managing the affairs of the Denu Traditional area through a selected executive group.
André remained the Chairman of the Baku-Ayivor Union in Accra for many years and enjoyed the support of many members. He was a great leader ready to help in properly organizing any group he belonged to. He was firm and fair in all his dealings, always ensuring that the right thing was done, no matter who was involved. Family interest was so important to him that even after his retirement from medical practice and with the onset of his personal health challenges, he still hosted family executive meetings at home until the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic when meetings were suspended. He was very proud of his family and made every effort to bring members together.
Nucleus family life was also very important to André. He was a doer. He always strived to do well and indeed he did. André made sure all his children had the essentials they needed and although he was quite strict, he always wanted the best for them and he supported them to achieve the highest levels wherever their life choices took them.
Sunday Mass was a sure thing. André took his religion seriously and as a staunch Catholic he served on various committees within the Church and even until his last days when he was not mobile enough to go to Mass, he was given Communion every Sunday at home. André never missed his morning devotion; always reading Light for our Path and he always made sure all his children and grandchildren got copies.
Docia (André’s wife) who lies next to him was a key part of his family life and was a strong and resilient woman. What a fighter! André and Docia started St. Andrews Clinic and she ran and managed it with him as Senior Nursing Sister till her retirement due to ill health. Together they promoted his farming with Docia even selling some of the produce. Together the family went to the farm for weekends and attending the extended family picnics in Denu at Easter were such a joy. André and Docia celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary three days before he was called to glory. What an excellent achievement!
Recently his health began to deteriorate. André’s health cannot be mentioned without saying a massive thank you to a very special health care assistant and André’s right hand man. Both of them can only be described as God sent. Giving literally all their time, hard work day and night, 24/7, and their dedication and love. Mr Daniel Tetteh Ayerh fondly known as (Uncle Dan) and Ms Maame Nyarko Ackaah Gyansi.
Peacefully, just as he lived, on 19th April 2021 André was called by his Maker. Four weeks after on 16th May 2021 his wife dear Docia joined him in eternal glory. Andre is survived by his five children Venance, Linda, Mawuli, Enyonam and Emefa. Ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
+233 (0)59-829-6337