9 high-profile persons who died of Covid-19 in 2021

And who thought it would be another year of safety protocols, vaccines, and worse – new Covid-19 variants?

Indisputably a tough year for a world that was trying to recover from the devastating effects of an unseen pandemic that hit.

Perhaps it may have been the thought of many that things may get better a year on, after the emergence of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

For a while, it did, and then other strains including the Delta, and Omicron came up and with their own set of problems.

Whilst there was relatively a chance of getting better owing to vaccines like the Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca among others being produced and given for free to many countries including Ghana but during all of this, we still lost some lives to the deadly novel coronavirus.

These persons and the many others who died this year from Covid-19 but may not be mentioned in this article will greatly be missed.

GhanaWeb has put together a list of some personalities reported to have died from Coronavirus.

National Security Coordinator, Joshua Kyeremeh:

Just a few days into the new year, 2021, Joshua Kyeremeh lost his life to Covid-19. The National Security Coordinator passed on Monday, January 18, 2021, while undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at the Ga East Municipal Hospital in Accra.

He had been the National Security Coordinator since 2017 and had been working at the security outfit before that, for more than 20 years.

Managing Director of Best Point Savings and Loans, Philip Odei-Asare:

His death came two days after that of Joshua Kyeremeh after reportedly suffering from Covid-19 complications. Details of his demise were not reported but he was known to have been strictly enforcing and adhering to the necessary safety protocols in his outfit.

Ghanaian businessman Sam:

He was billed to be interviewed by Broadcaster, Paul Adom-Otchere on Thursday, January 28, 2021, but passed of Covid-19 complications, hours to the interview.

The unfortunate incident was announced on the official ‘Good Evening Ghana’ page and also announced by the host of the program on Metro TV.

British-Ghanaian rapper Xploder:

Samuel Mensah, a British-Ghanaian rapper, popularly called Xploder passed in January this year from Covid-19.

He was known for appearing on grime tracks like ‘Mission Riddim’ alongside his brother D Dark and others.

Samuel was also known for being the CEO of London-based Ghanaian bakery business Uncle Johns.

Kwesi Pratt’s brother, Nanabanyin Pratt:

Former Managing Director of News Times Corporation Nanabanyin Pratt also passed early this year from Covid-19 complications. The brother of Kwesi Pratt Jnr., Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper passed on January 17.

He was a Public Relations expert and lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) till his demise.

Georgette Djaba:

Daughter of renowned politician and former Convention People’s Party Activist, Henry Kojo Djaba passed on after contracting Covid-19.

Georgette who is sister to former Gender Minister, Otiko Djaba died after coming down from UK to spend the yuletide in 2020.

Georgette was a private legal practitioner in the UK.

Prudential Bank’s HR Head, Naa Adoley Ankrah:

In February this year, the Head of Human Resources at the Prudential Bank, Naa Adoley Ankrah passed on while receiving treatment at the Nyaho Clinic in Accra.

According to an Atinkaonline report, close family relations who confirmed the event said she contracted the virus after attending her brother’s 50th birthday celebration.

Former Western Regional Deputy Minister, Alfred Ekow Gyan:

Alfred Ekow Gyan, a former Deputy Western Region Minister succumbed to Covid-19 complications in September this year.

Reports suggest he was brought to Accra for treatment but could not survive.

Popularly known as Abbott, Mr. Ekow Gyan was a two-time parliamentary candidate for the NDC in the Takoradi Constituency and served as deputy regional minister under the John Dramani Mahama administration.

Supreme Court Judge Samuel Kofi Marful-Sau:

The Supreme Court Justice, Samuel Kofi Marful-Sau passed in August 2021, from Covid-19 complications.

The astute judge was an active justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana and was born in Assin Adubiase in the Central Region.

He became an Appeal Court judge in 2006 and was appointed justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana in 2018.

Meanwhile, the new Omicron variant has been reported as spreading at a considerably high rate. All are therefore encouraged to keep observing the safety protocols.