“Today could be your last day on earth. Death is inevitable and comes without prior notice. When you wake up in the morning, do not expect to see the evening and in the evening do not expect to see the morning.” This was the title of the Khutbah delivered during congregational prayers on Friday some few weeks ago.
This fate befell my very good friend, brother and colleague Castro Zangina-Tong on August 1. He was at work on the last day of the month of July, as usual worked tirelessly with his colleagues at the New Times Corporation (NTC) Spectator editorial department to generate content for the newspaper.
We all retired to our homes, on the presumption that we shall meet in the office the next day to continue with work. But that was not to be! The angel of death descended on him at dawn on the first day of the month of August and took him away to his maker.
His colleagues, especially at the Spectator were shocked to the marrow, and exclaimed, inter alia, “Oh Castro, oh no, we were at work just yesterday, he did not show any sign of ailments. What a shock, we can’t believe it.”
He left a very huge gaping hole, and the depleted staff of the Spectator had to work extra harder to fill the gaping hole left by Castro, to produce the newspaper for the week.
His death came just four months after he buried his wife, Comfort Essuman Tsibua Awoo at Assin Foso in the Central Region. So, they are all gone!! leaving behind two little orphans.
Castro will be laid to rest at Awudome Cemetery in Accra on Saturday, September 9, after pre-burial service at his residence at Russia-Commanco, near J&J Washing Bay.
It is a fact of life we have to accept. God is the chief architect of our lives, he causes anything to happen to our lives at anytime, anywhere, and at any hour, without our knowledge or permission.
Like the referee, indeed, God is the Referee-in-chief of a football match. He can whistle for the end of the match at His will. We may not like it. But his decision is fiat. God has no extra time to add, so, the game is over to Castro, fiat!!
Few days to his death, Castro brought her sister to the office with some beautiful smocks for sale, which some of us bought. It was as if, he Castro was asking us to buy the smocks and wear them to his funeral.
I recall Castro came to my office to exchange pleasantries and wish me well on my return from Hajj recently.
The death of Castro brings to the fore, once more concerns for the health and general wellbeing of media personnel, especially journalists, who are always racing against time to gather and disseminate news for an informative society, without much time to see to their personnel wellbeing.
We (NTC) had hardly dried our tears over the demise of Castro, when we recorded another death on the last day of August, of Kofigo, our electrician. May their souls rest in peace! Our sister organisation, Graphic Communications Group Limited, I’m told lost six of their staff within the last eight months!
Few years ago, an MPhil student of the University of Ghana, School of Public Health came to our office to collect data in a research to get an insight into the high mortality rates among media personality, I guess it might be related to work stress!!
Perhaps, it is time for a discourse amongst media organisations, Ghana Journalists Association and other allied bodies and the Ghana Medical Association for a comprehensive healthcare for media practitioners.
Castro and I shared a lot in common, the only difference between us is that he belongs to the Christian faith-a Catholic and I’m a Muslim. But he has been telling me that some of his family members are Muslims.
He was older than I and also got employed at the NTC five years earlier than I.
He was employed when I was still studying at the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
He hails from Tongo in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region, while I come from Navrongo in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality.
We attended different secondary schools, so our paths never crossed in school, though I knew we had all converged on the regional capital Bolgatanga sometime in life to pursue our goals.
I was introduced to him sometime in 1998 when we met for the first time at the Bolgatanga Saint John’s Park, when he came to cover Ghana’s Independence Day celebration, then he was the Ghanaian Times Upper East Regional Correspondent, and I was there to observe proceedings when I visited home on holidays from GIJ.
Again, sometime in the early 2000, I paid a visit to him in Koforidua while he was the Eastern Regional correspondent, and to visit another friend directly related to Castro, Sofo, a prison officer, whom I knew at Navrongo. He has also passed on!
I travelled with the NTC distribution vehicle to Koforidua, and we arrived late in the night so I stayed awake in the office. Castro came to the office at dawn to prepare for a trip to the Afram Plains to cover assignment.
He was not happy with the driver for leaving me in the office at the mercy of the mosquitoes. He blamed him for not bringing me to his house to sleep. We parted company and I proceeded to visit Sofo at the prison service, I recall Castro gave me money and told me he would have carried me along to the Afram Plains, but the vehicle was full.
I was recruited in October 2003. A year later I was assigned from Accra with Elvis Darko, then a stringer with Ghanaian Times and now Editor of the Finder newspaper, to join Castro in Koforidua to observe and report on the 2004 general elections. After our rounds, Castro and the photographer, Opare Lartey, now on retirement, treated us to a good time at a pub in Koforidua Town.
It was now bedtime, Castro shared his bed with me, and I believed I might have snored on him but he might have been too diplomatic to complain that I had disturbed his sleep.
My good friend, was reposted to Ghanaian Times newsroom in Accra, where I had shared a story byline with him, having on an occasion covered an assignment with him.
Castro had spent nearly three decades of his life dispensing knowledge and disseminating information, having first been trained and worked as a teacher before becoming a journalist and worked for 25 years for the NTC, serving in the Upper East Region, briefly in the Northern Region, Eastern Region and Greater Accra, then transferred to the Spectator where he played multiple roles as News Editor, acting Sub Editor. Castro was a utility player!!
My brother Castro demonstrated high sense of professionalism, having deep regard for the ethics of the profession. His news stories were accurate, fair and balanced to all shades of opinion. I do not recall any rejoinder to any of his stories. Castro has a sense of humour, and he tried to enliven some of his human-interest stories with humour.
He was passionate about his work, especially grammar. So, he tried to share his experience, knowledge and skills to the younger ones. I believe he could have written a book to pass on his experiences and knowledge in journalism for posterity. But God knows best.
My colleague Castro was a nice person. But he was not an angel, he also had his otherside, like all human beings. Castro, I knew was in conflict with some other people. Castro could shout, he could yell, he could speak on top of his voice. Castro could argue unceasingly, Castro could return fire for fire. Castro could either insult or return insults. That’s him! He also has natural inclination for self-defense.
Conflict is good, because conflict brings out the best in interpersonal relationship and also help to shape our relationship with others. As human beings, we tried to avoid and stay away from violent conflict. Castro had tried to avoid violent conflicts. It was so chilling, moving and very fulfilling at the one week funeral rites when his elder brother Mahama Zangina, appealed to whoever Castro might have offended to kindly forgive him.
I believe rightly so, we have to let bygones be bygones!!
Castro died as media martyr, we fondly remember him for his professionalism, for his contribution to the field of journalism, as well as his generosity. For any other aspect of him undesirable, we believe God has forgiven him. Castro left behind two children: Fidelis and Blessing, now orphans after they lost their mum in March. Let’s contribute to make the children great assets!!
BY ALHAJI SALIFU ABDUL-RAHAMAN
