The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has held a memorial service to mourn the loss of Mr Abdulai Balaarah, one of its staff members.
The sorrowful ceremony, heralded by Islamic prayers and interlaced by tributes, was attended by family members, friends and former colleagues of Mr Balaarah.
Mr Balaarah, born on August 20, 1983 at Hain, Jirapa in the Upper West Region, until his untimely demise on May 04, 2023, was the Programme Officer at the Northern Regional Office of the CDD-Ghana.
Mr Balaarah, who had since been buried in line with Islamic customs, joined the CDD-Ghana in 2016 after a brief stint with the Ministry of Education working as a teacher.
Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, Executive Director of CDD-Ghana, in a brief remark at the event in Tamale, said the organisation was shocked to learn about the painful loss of Mr Balaarah, who was “A valuable member of our team.”
Professor Prempeh said, “this is the first time CDD-Ghana has lost a member of the organisation in its 25 year-long history. This is not what we expect in a year such as this when we are celebrating our 25th Anniversary as an organisation.”
He expressed CDD-Ghana’s deepest condolences to the wife, children and family of Mr Balaarah, saying he was dedicated to his duties.
Mr Amos Balaarah, elder Brother of Mr Balaarah, who read his biography, described him as “a very caring and loving member of the Balaarah Family”, adding he had a lot of ambition and passion for family.
A tribute by the Management of CDD-Ghana, which was read by Madam Shirley Fenny, Human Resource and Administrative Manager at CDD-Ghana, said “He was very dedicated and diligent in the execution of his tasks, especially during field work. Balaarah exemplified the values of the organisation namely inclusiveness, integrity, independence and excellence.”
It said, “These values were portrayed in his work ethic, general conduct and attitude. He worked tirelessly in managing and organising CDD-Ghana programmes in the northern sector of the country to achieve the organisational objectives.”
It said, “Balaarah’s achievements extend beyond his role as a Programmes Officer. His unwavering commitment to fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing and capacity building within the team has been invaluable in nurturing a culture of excellence and professional growth.”
There were also tributes by the Security Sector Governance Team of CDD-Ghana, and the Social Accountability Team of CDD-Ghana and some staff of the organisation, all of whom spoke highly of his exceptional contributions towards the success of the projects.
Representatives of partner organisations including Norsaac, and Care for Deprived Communities also paid glowing tributes to his memory lauding his skills and dedication to duty and being very attached to all, who worked with him.
Shaikh Iliyas Umar Imam, Director of Hablullah Islamic Institute, Tamale, who led the Islamic prayers, prayed to Allah to provide sustenance and protection for the family left behind by Mr Balaarah.
Meanwhile, CDD-Ghana has established an Educational Fund with a seed fund of GHc20,000.00 to help to properly educate Mr Balaarah’s children to have the best in life.
CDD-Ghana encouraged friends and former colleagues of Mr Balaarah to contribute to the Fund to grow.
Mr Balaarah left behind a wife and four young children, who were seven years old, five years old, two years old, and eight months old in that order.
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