By Philip Tengzu, GNA
Jirapa, ((UW/R), June 03, GNA – Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, have paid their last respect to the late Eric Johnson, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Royal Cosy Hills Hotel.
Other high profile personalities who joined the Speaker in doing so were some Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Upper West Region including Mr Ambrose Dery, MP for the Nandom Constituency and Minister of State at the Presidency, who represented the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, MPs for Wa East and Wa West Constituencies respectively, and Justice Yonny Kulendi, a Supreme Court judge.
The CEO of the magnificent hospitality resort popularly known as “Jirapa Dubai” in the Upper West Region, was gruesomely murdered in cold blood on Sunday 11th February 2024 at his private residence within the hotel.
In a tribute at the final funeral rites of the late businessman, Mr Bagbin said despite the pain of the passing of Eric Johnson, the impact of his life on many lives in the region and beyond, should be a lesson to all and a motivation to also impact lives.
He said the crowd of people from all walks of life and notable personalities of the region and beyond at his funeral signified that Eric Johnson lived and left a legacy worth emulation.
“You know him very well, a man of humility, very soft-spoken, soft-hearted, compassionate, and loving. He was not just seen as a son of Jirapa or Upper West, but that of the whole country,” Mr Bagbin explained.
He said while mourning Eric Johnson’s death, they should thank God for using him to impact many lives.
Mr Dery, on his part, said the President was enthused about the investment Eric Johnson made in Jirapa and eulogised him as a visionary person who had put his community on the map of Ghana as a tourist attraction, and on the global pedestal as a tourist centre through the establishment of the hospitality resort.
“This is a man that we all must celebrate. The President recognises him as a Ghanaian of sterling qualities, and a leading example, a model to all private investors to emulate,” he said.
Mr Dery commended the police for apprehending the suspects in connection with the murder of Eric Johnson and gave the assurance that justice would be served.
Naa Dinaa Donglabong Ganaa III, the Paramount Chief of the Jirapa Traditional Area, eulogised the late Eric Johnson as “a man of few words, and yet, in that quiet but calculated demeanor, you were a teacher, advisor, mentor, and a beacon of light and hope to many far beyond the boundaries and scope of your beloved Jirapa municipality”.
He said the investment of Eric Johnson had reshaped the social and economic landscape of the traditional area and built a fabric of prosperity among the people and this legacy would continue to inspire generations to come.
The children of Eric Johnson, the Abiere-Kuubiere family, staff of Royal Cosy Hills Hotel, the Lawra Senior High School Old Students Association, and the Chief and People of Tugo among others also shared tributes to the late Eric Johnson.
Eric Johnson was born on 24th December 1964 in Jirapa to Madam Grace Derpog Abiere. He was the CEO of Intermerc Limited and Royal Cosy Hills Hotel before he passed on to eternity on 11th February 2024.
GNA