Kojo Choi, Ghana’s Ambassador-Designate to South Korea, has highlighted his strong cultural affinities and Ghanaian identity by sharing a personal academic experience.
Speaking on Tuesday, August 12 on Channel One TV’s Face to Face with Umaru Sanda Amadu, Mr. Choi described how, despite not being able to speak Twi fluently when he first arrived in Ghana, he performed exceptionally well on the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Twi.
“I couldn’t speak Twi when I first arrived in Ghana. I attended SOS Junior High School in Tema, and that’s where I learnt it. I had an aggregate 5 in Ashanti Twi for BECE, while my Ghanaian friend, who is fully Ghanaian, had six, and another had seven. I had a pass mark, but it’s not easy to get that,” he said.
Mr. Choi explained that his early education at SOS College, a boarding school, restricted students to speaking only English, French, or Swedish. “I was privileged to pick pidgin language as my third language,” he recalled.
The diplomat stated that his exposure to many cultures around Ghana influenced his linguistic ability. “I used to go to the Upper East Region when I was very young, and because they speak just the Frafra language, I can speak a little,” he told me.
Mr. Choi, who is fluent in Twi and speaks Frafra, emphasized his Ghanaian ancestry. “I am a full Ghanaian; I do not have any other passport save the Ghanaian passport. “This is my home,” he confirmed.
