GRATITUDE – ON MY LAST WORKING DAY AS UN STAFF- he write on Facebook
January 2003 to February 2026: Joining the UN from the BBC in Bush House, London, was serendipitous, adventurous, and curious in many ways.
It has been a privilege of a lifetime working for this global Organisation that EXISTS TO DO GOOD, OVERALL. The second Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjold stated, “The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven but to save humanity from hell.”
My indefatigable, admirable, and remarkable compatriot, Kofi Annan, was the 7th Secretary-General of the UN. He won the Noble Peace Prize for and with the UN in 2001.
In this photo, I was meeting the great man for the first time, in 2004, just over a year after I joined the UN. I was in the UN TV studios to welcome him for a news-making Radio and TV interview, towards the launch of a new programme I created and hosted, called, “UN and Africa.”
My Director at the time, Ahmad Fawzi, supported and guided this project and UNTV colleague, Michelle Zaccheo, was highly instrumental, collaborative, and encouraging.
An amazing thing happened during this first face-to-face meeting with the SG. He is from the major Akan ethnic group; and I’m from the Ewe group. As I shook his hand, I greeted him in my rickety Twi language, “Nana, Akwaaba.” (… to wit, “Chief, welcome.”
His response surprised me pleasantly. Spontaneously, he said in Ewe, “Yooo, Akpe. Aleke’e” (Okay, thanks, how are you? How is it?) – everything happened smoothly with smiles and a lot of warmth, almost as if rehearsed.
I was reaching out to this venerable global citizen, respectfully, in his mother’s tongue, and he responded promptly in mine.
I have walked (and still walk) in the footsteps of a giant – even if at a lower level, and with baby footprints 😉
I am standing on the shoulders of giants.
I am striving in the shadows of heroes and sheroes.
GIVING THANKS AND PRAISES TO THE MOST HIGH. Psalm 136.
