By Samuel Akumatey
Ho, Oct. 14, GNA – The border community of Shia in the Ho Municipality of the Volta Region was over the weekend overwhelmed with thousands who attended the funeral of Dr Felix Semavor, serial entrepreneur and philanthropist who passed away this year.
A native of the community, he owns a name in Ghana’s private transport sector as well as in the education sector with the establishment of the Kingdom Transport Services Limited and the Kings University College.
Countless dignitaries made up of top officials, politicians and corporate leaders paid honour at his final funeral rites held at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Shia.
The small community witnessed an economic boom during the three-day funeral event, and there were virtually no vehicles at the boarding station in the regional capital.
Tributes recounted a life of kindness and compassion that lit up entire communities, and Dr Semavor is most known in the locality for single-handedly sustaining the Shia Senior High School for years unending until the Government absorbed it.
Heads of the local assembly, past and present, spoke of Dr. Semavor’s support of the Volta regional capital to develop transport and other infrastructure.
Mr. Fifi Kwetey, the General Secretary of the NDC, who led a large delegation to the funeral celebrated his contributions to national development, notably with the development of the rapid bus transit system for the national capital.
Dr. Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, was present, and so were chiefs from the Asogli State.
Dr. Semavor was born in 1958 in Shia where had an initial education and was the fifth of ten children.
Work and education sent him across countries in West Africa and into the UK where he earned a CIMA professional certification in 1988.
He returned to Ghana soon after and took employment with the then Coopers and Lybrand, now Price Waterhouse Coopers, where he successfully managed one of International Tobacco Ghana Limited’s holdings in the country.
In 1993, he joined Shell Ghana, becoming its first African Financial Director.
Dr Semavor would establish Kingdom Transport Services Limited, which he later diversified into the hospitality and real estate industries in the early 2000s.
The Kings University College was also established, and Dr. Semavor left behind a thriving Kingdom Group Ghana Limited with subsidiaries including Kingdom Premium Fruits, New England Estates, and the Volta Integrated Agricultural Development Company.
He was a member of numerous financial management institutes and organisations and also held board positions at some institutions including in education.
Together with his wife, Dr. Semavor founded the Kingdom of God Foundation which supports underprivileged students through High School and the tertiary level in Ghana and across West Africa.
The Foundation also caters for widows, orphans and churches, and Janet, his wife shared in her tribute more on his personal life of care and giving.
Dr. Semavor is survived by Janet and their five children, all boys.
John Paul, the third of the gang spoke to the Ghana News Agency on sustaining his legacy and enterprise.
“Rest assured that his legacy will be maintained. All of them will be kept alive, and we will sustain his enterprise to honour his name”.
John Paul spoke particularly about the widow’s support program, which he said had been ongoing since Dr. Semavor’s demise.
“The old man has made up to appreciate the essence of giving, so we will keep the flame alive,” he said.
Dr. Semavor until his departure was the Chairman of the Transport Committee of the Volta Development Forum, and Dr. Kofi Kludjeson, the President of the Forum shared with the News Agency the planned rollout of a major transport policy for the Region
“We were in the process of buying electric vehicles, and I will assure you that we are going to realise this project to his honour,” he said.
The Philanthropist was given a private burial in his Shia residence, entombed in a mausoleum.
GNA