“Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. “Yes”, says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” (Rev. 14:13 – N.K.J.V.)
The late Mrs. Patience Akweley Akunor (nee Lomotey), affectionately called Auntie Akweley was born a twin on 8th July 1926 in Tamale to Mr. J. Benjamin Kwei Lomotey of Osu Kinkawe, a Medical Superintendent (Dispenser) working in the then Northern Provincial Hospital at Tamale and Madam Beatrice Nartekie Lomotey a trader of Ada Foah all of blessed memory. The demise of their father two years after she and her twin brother were born made them follow their mother to Accra to live with their paternal Uncle Mr. Henry Kwao Lomotey who was by then a Manager of U.A.C. at Akuse.
The late Mrs. Patience Akweley Akunor, then known as Patience Akweley Lomotey started schooling at the age of six at Akuse in 1933. She was at standard 3 when her elder sister by name Naafio brought her to Ada Foah to continue her Primary education at Ada Foah for a brief period. She later on joined her eldest sister at Winneba and found herself attending a Methodist School for just one month before relocating once again to Ada Foah. At the instance of the late Rev. Paul Tetteh Kitcher, she was brought to Osu in 1939 to attend the newly established Osu Presbyterian Girls School as one of the pioneer pupils at Standard four. In 1942 the Basel Missionaries decided to send her to Agogo to continue her education at the Agogo Presbyterian Middle Girls School where she completed Standard seven and was awarded the Middle School Leaving Certificate. She had originally planned to train to become a nurse but that idea was not embraced by her foster parents. She was rather encouraged to enroll at the Agogo Basel Mission Teacher Training College to be trained to be a professional teacher, which she obliged in 1942. A year later, the German/German speaking missionaries were deported from the Gold Coast, and the Teacher Training College at Agogo was closed down. All the students of the Agogo Basel Mission Teacher Training College were therefore sent to the Teacher Training College at Akropong Akuapem to join their male counterparts for one year. Fortunately, after one year, the German/German speaking teachers returned and the Teacher Training College was reopened. She was thus able to complete her teacher training course in 1945.
After her teacher training education, she taught from 1946 to 1949. She then had a scholarship to study at the University of London Wimbledon Educational Institute from 1949 to 1952. The following were comments on her certificate “A bright and astute student, very proficient in English and Psychology”. The late Patience Akweley Akunor, known as Patience Akweley Lomotey arrived from her overseas studies in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1952. She met Mr. Samuel Tettey Akunor and they got married on September 13th 1952. She then relocated to Akropong Akuapem where she taught for a while at the Local Authority Primary School. She later on joined the teaching staff at the Practice School which later became known as the Demonstration Primary School of the Akropong Presbyterian Training College. She taught English Language and Physical Education which were her field of specialty among other subjects.
The late Auntie Akweley taught at the Demonstration Primary School, Akropong Akuapem for ten (10) years. In 1962 she relocated to Agona Nsaba with her husband who was a Senior Educationist to pioneer the Nsaba Teacher Training College (now turned into a Senior Secondary School), with Mr. S.T. Akunor becoming the Pioneer Principal of the Institution. Auntie Akweley taught English Language, Physical Education and Psychology. From 1962 to 1963, she as a Physical education specialist took both male and female students for physical education classes in hockey, volley ball and netball until a male teacher came the following year to relieve her.
In 1965 Auntie Akweley once again relocated to Bompata, Asante Akim with her husband to pioneer a Teacher Training College known as Bompata Training College (now turned into a Senior Secondary School). Her husband, the late Mr. S.T. Akunor was the Pioneer Principal of the Institution while Auntie Akweley taught Physical Education, English and Educational Psychology for four (4) years. In 1969 when her husband was transferred to Accra she had to move with him. She eventually left the Ghana Education Service with the Rank of Principal Teacher and joined the teaching staff of the Ridge Church School under the headship of Dr. Mrs. Gladys Osae Addo of blessed memory (who was her maid of honour when Auntie Akweley got married in 1952). At the Ridge Church School, she taught for twelve (12) years until she started having challenges with her eye sight and eventually resigned in 1982 to be at home. Her career as an educationist did not end there; “once an educationist, always an educationist.” In spite of the fact that her sight had started failing her, she spearheaded the establishment of the African Christian Mission (ACM) Day Care Centre at Amedzofe together with Bishop Seth Anyomi and Dr. Kafui Ameh; she eventually became the Director of ACM Day Care Centre Projects and was with the African Christian Mission for three years.
While on retirement Auntie Akweley who loved music and singing composed a number of songs in Ga, Dangbe, Twi and in English, notable among these are “Kosi o gugue” (do not boast), “Ekome feemo” (a call for unity) which she would sing to virtually everyone who visited her.
When the late Mrs. Patience Akweley Akunor relocated to Accra in 1969, apart from teaching she started full swing with Auntie Efua Sutherland and joined the Drama Studio Players/Actors. She was on a number of TV shows and programmes, some of which began from the Akropong days. Some of the TV shows she featured in were Avenue “A” a popular TV show in the ‘70s. Some of the drama series she featured in were “Anowa”, the Marriage of Anansewa and others. She performed with actors like Mike Ayensu (Longi), Madam Roselyn Ofori, Mr William Ofori, Tom Dorkenoo and others who kept on visiting her till her demise. She was a member of the team that represented Ghana for the first time at Festac 1977 held in Lagos, Nigeria.
The late Auntie Akweley left behind a big legacy for Help Age Ghana in the existence to date of the Darkuman chapter of this ministry to the Aged. On the ticket of Help Age Ghana, she travelled to China and spent a month to study how they took care of the ageing. On her return from China, she began putting into practice some of the new things she learnt. Auntie Akweley often remarked that social work must never be taken for granted; since it is God alone who rewards people for showing love and compassion to others. Social work opened doors for her to visit Cato in New York State, USA courtesy Rotary Club Ghana, France, Switzerland, Germany, Israel, Hong Kong, the Niagara Falls on the Canadian American border, Sierra Leone, Cote D’Ivoire (then known as Ivory Coast), Liberia, Burkina Faso to mention just a few of these. In all her travels she never paid for any of her trips; God always provided her with benefactors in a timely manner.
Auntie Akweley was once a District Commissioner of the Girl Guides for the Akuapem area. In the early ‘60s she was the Akuapem Representative for the Y.W.C.A. At a point in time she was a member of the Committee on Women’s Program for Developing Nations. She also participated in the Conference for Women in developing Countries under the Ecumenical Decade of Women with the Christian Council of Ghana. Auntie Akweley and Mr. Harding, a Nigerian represented West Africa in a Festival of Gymnastics in Sweden in 1961.
Auntie Akweley was baptized at Akuse in 1933 by the late Rev. Hammond. She publicly affirmed her faith in the Lord by going through the Confirmation ceremony at Ada Foah in 1942. The late Rev. John Teye officiated during the Service. She has served as a Lay Reader and a Lay Preacher in the various Congregations she became a member of over the years. While in Agona Nsaba, she assisted in teaching the Confirmation Lessons in Ga for some non-Akan speaking candidates being prepared for Confirmation. She was a staunch member of the Women’s Fellowship. She had once been a Treasurer of the Darkuman Women’s Fellowship. She has trained a number of the Women in batik designing. She wrote a number of short plays which with her guidance and supervision were staged by the Women’s Fellowship in a number of Congregations where she had been a member.
She was elected and served as a Presbyter within the Christ Congregation, Darkuman for a term beginning from 1994. She contributed both financially and materially to the growth of both the Christ Congregation, Darkuman and the Redemption Congregation, Tema Community 9. She has been a member of a number of Committees within the Church.
Auntie Akweley was blessed with a sharp memory. Her brain network was very sharp and was always ready to share once you ask for facts from her. As late as April this year, she could recollect and mention the names of all the 20 pioneer pupils together with whom the Osu Presbyterian Girls Middle School began in 1939. She could also recollect the name of the Head teacher and the pioneer teachers as well as the Minister who was the Local Manager at that time.
Auntie Akweley had for some time this year been hinting of making her exit unexpectedly; true to her words she made her departure quietly on Saturday 24th August 2024. She left behind six (6) children, sixteen (16) grandchildren and three (3) great grandchildren.
Auntie Akweley you have lived a fulfilled life and now we know that your soul is with your Maker. We say, rest peacefully till we meet again.