'Joe' Lartey: Meet Ghana's oldest living sports broadcaster who just turned 93 (video)

- Joachim 'Joe' Lartey of popular radion and TV programme, Over to You, has marked his 93rd birthday

- Ghana’s oldest living broadcaster turned 93 years on June 6, 2020

- YEN.com.gh highlights his journey and accomplishments

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After many years of counting 92 momentous milestones, Ghana’s oldest broadcaster Joachim 'Joe' Lartey, has marked another eventful day as he's turned 93 years.

He was born on June 6, 1927, at Lutterodt Street in Accra to Emmanuel Akushey Lartey and Madam Emma Araakua Lartey.

His father worked with the Treasury Department.

Lartey received his early education at Accra Royal School around 1933 but had his studies in Accra interrupted when his father was transferred to Cape Coast.

Young Joe had to move with his dad, but before he could find another school, his father took ill and was brought back to Accra.

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In 1935, his father was transferred to Tamale and he later came for him and his mother following the death of his younger brother after battling sickness.

At Tamale, he enrolled at the Tamale Middle Boarding School but his father sought permission for him to be a day student, since he fell sick often.

In 1938 his father returned to Accra and Lartey was sent to Government Senior Boys School at Kinbu to continue his education.

He completed middle school in 1943 and was admitted to Accra Academy in 1944.

He followed events of the Second World War by listening to the war speeches of British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, on radio, and by reading magazines.

After less than a year at Accra Academy, he left home for Takoradi to join the British Navy.

He was sent to Free Town, Sierra Leone for further training.

In 1945, the war had ended and his group was demobilised in 1946.

Lartey first got a job as a clerk at the Accra Town Council, working under Town Clerk Major McDougel.

He then pursued a course on his own with Wolsey Hall to prepare for Cambridge Certificate (O’Level).

There was a special resettlement package for those discharged from the British Navy, as part of which, Lartey was given a scholarship to train as a teacher.

He did the Certificate "B” at Winneba Training College, passing out after two years. Because of the Cambridge Certificate he obtained from Wolsey Hall, he was able to do his post-certificate training at Wesley College, Kumasi.

He spent five years teaching at Larteh, Kwanyako, Swedru, Nyakrom and Accra until 1961.

Lartey joined GBC in 1961 and worked at the Talks and Features and Sports Departments respectively.

Lartey left the GBC in 1973 and joined the Food Distribution Corporation that same year as a public relations practitioner, but he left in 1978 to go into private practice.

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During the era of the Supreme Military Council (Ghana), he was involved in the activities of the People's Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ) that opposed UNIGOV under Gen. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, working in the trenches with Nana Akufo-Addo, Komla Agbeli Gbedemah and others.

He moved to Lagos, Nigeria when the leaders of the movement were being pursued, and stayed there until 1990.

Lartey’s is famous for programme Over to You Radio and a TV Sports Broadcast Excellence award ceremony named in his honour for his service in sports broadcast and journalism.

Watch video of Joy Sports team’s birthday surprise to the legend as he marked 93 years.

In other stories, YEN.com.gh reported that that barely two weeks after Frederick Acheampong resigned as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ashanti Gold, Emmanuel Frimpong, has landed the top job.

Emmanuel Frimpong, 24, son of Dr Kweku Frimpong, the majority shareholder of Ashanti Gold took over from Frederick Acheampong who resigned last week. Dr Kwaku Frimpong better known as ‘Champion’ appointed his own son Emmanuel Frimpong to succeed Acheampong.

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Source: YEN.com.gh