Biography of Elvis Koku Kwashie

“The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart, Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.”

Our hearts are in pain, our eyes are soaked in tears and who can understand the cry in our hearts. Our cries cannot even give a true reflection of the disorganized state of our hearts and minds.

But alas: the die is cast and who are we to challenge the doing and the timing of the SOVEREIGN LORD.

Born on the 8th day of October 1972 at Asadame in the Volta Region Elvis Koku Kwashie lived and today we gather to mourn his death, and to celebrate his life. He will not be remembered by the things we write and say here today, but by the things we hold in our hearts.

We would remember him for his wit, his humour, his quietness and his questions. Some would remember him for his unwavering principles of life, his selflessness and his dedication and commitment towards every path he chose. Some would remember him for his love for humanity and his belief in the saying that THE BEAUTY OF LIFE IS NOT WHO YOU ARE BUT WHO OTHERS ARE BECAUSE OF YOU.

Others would remember him for his distaste for unfaithful- ness. Others would remember him for his sharp analytical mind and those who argued with him, his ability at manoeuvring out of an almost lost battle. He was a friend, a brother and a father to a lot more people.

Early life and education

As the first child of Olympio Yao Bonuedie and Mercy Adzo Torkornu-Bonuedie, Koku exhibited excellent leadership and brilliance right from his early school days all through to when he gained admission to Bishop Herman Secondary School, Kpando in 1984 and completed in 1991 with excellent grades not forgetting his great love for football which earned him a spot in the school’s football team.

In 1995, Koku gained admission into the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) and graduated in 1997 with a Diploma Certificate in Journalism. Which was followed by a certificated Course in Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing from the same Institute in August 1997.

In 1998, Koku participated in the BBC World Service Radio Journalism Course. In 2005, in Berlin Germany, he participated in the International Weiterbildung Capacity Building program in Multimedia and Online Journalism. A certificate of commendation was conferred on him from the MULTIMEDIA BROADCASTING COMPANY LTD as a member of the Winning Team (2006 BBC Africa Radio Awards – Local on-air campaign) in 2007.

He later participated in the EXECUTIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM and also DEVELOPING AND LEADING HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAM in 2017 at the Columbia Business School in the USA.

Koku was also given a Certificate of Achievement and Recognition from the MILLION LEADER MANDATE for his sterling leadership roles in ministerial affairs in 2014. Later in 2015 Koku gained Essential Skills in Oil and Gas at the Harvard College–HRDC-Boston USA.