Accra, Jan 26, GNA – Naa Professor Nminyem Delle Choir VIII, Paramount Chief of the Nandom traditional area has paid glowing tribute to his late brother Group Captain Fred Aadaryeb Delle.
He said apart from being a family Unifier, late Captain Delle was also the first Pilot to have come from Nandom and its environs.
A tribute copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said the late Group Captain who died in October 2022 was born on 1st January 1940 to Chiir Delle of Nandom Pataal and Maache Delle (Delle Pogpila) of Kuselle and started his education at the Nandom Local Authority Primary School in 1948 and completed in 1953 and proceeded to the Lawra Middle Boarding School 1954 to 1955 and then proceeded to the Government Secondary School, now Tamale Secondary School from 1956 to 1960 when he was awarded the West African School Certificate.
“Upon completion of his basic education his interest in the military for which reason he joined the Cadet Corps in school led him to enlist into the Ghana Airforce soon upon completion of his basic education.
After his training at the Ghana Military Academy in Accra he proceeded to the Ghana Air Force Flying Training School in Takoradi from 1961 to 1962 where he earned his Diploma and was awarded the Pilot Wings. Later he attended the Flying Instructors Course at the Central Flying School of the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom in 1963 and in 1968 he proceeded again to the United Kingdom to pursue further training at the Junior Command and Staff School and Instruction Technic Course at the Royal Air Force Junior Staff College and RAF School of Education in the United Kingdom.”
Later in his career he studied at the Air University in Montgomery in Alabama, and the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey in California both in the United States of America. In the year 1981 he was elected a corporate member of the British Institution of Management as a Fellow.
The tribute said the illustrious career of our brother led him to be appointed as a Military Defense Attaché at the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC USA/Canada where he served from 1982 to 1985 and later he volunteered for Peace Keeping operations with the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) and from 1993 to 1994 he was appointed Director at the United Nations Observer Mission in South Africa (UNOMSA).
He served for 26 years as a Commissioned Officer in the Ghana Air Force in various capacities leaving behind him many Pilots and unforgettable manouvres and won the first prize in Aero-Acrobatics, the first black African to qualify for that competition and to win it.
“Lufthansa of Germany offered him a lucrative salary as a pilot, President Ben-Bella of Algeria offered him the post of General Flying Instructor and President Nyerere of Tanzania offered to give him a befitting position in Tanzania but Uncle Fred turned down all these offers and chose to work in Ghana.
“Fred Delle was a unifier among his brothers, and got involved in the grooming and education of his younger siblings, nephews and nieces and the family forever owes him that honour. He will forever be remembered by the people of Nandom as the first pilot from Nandom who brought them an Aerodrome and landed several times with compatriots on very important occasions and made Nandom a training ground for the Ghana Air Force.”
The tribute said Group Captain Fred Aadaryeb Delle came from a very big and great family. At a stage the Ghana Army, the Ghana Navy, and the Ghana Air Force had top ranking officers from the Chiir (Chemogoh) family of Nandom. Fred had very high profile brothers like Dr Daniel Naanyaa Delle, Rear Adm C. K. Dzang, Col C. D. Benni, Naa Prof Edmund Delle (Paramount Chief of Nandom), Dr Joseph Nasalnibe Gbellu, Aasonaa Delle, Dr E. N. Gyader (Eldest Nephew)
,”Uncle Fred, as he was popularly known in the family, passed away after a long battle with stroke on Saturday 1st October 2022 in Virginia in the United States of America.
“Our Brother has left behind his widow, Mrs Winifred Delle and five children, Mrs Vera Maache Delle Brown, Crispin Minudem Delle, Reubin Yeb Delle, Alfreda Maanu Delle, Fredrick Mwinyelle Delle and five grand Children.
To God be the glory.”
GNA