The late Eva Lokko
The mortal remains of Eva Naa Marley Lokko, former Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), engineer and politician, were yesterday interred at the Osu cemetery after a burial, memorial and thanksgiving service at the forecourt of the State House, Accra.
Ms Eva Lokko, who passed on at the age of 64 in the United States of America on October 6, 2016, was a running mate to Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, flag bearer of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) in the 2012 presidential race.
Dignitaries who attended the funeral were New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Klottey Korle, Philip Addison; Prof. Stephen Adae, former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
The rest were the presidential candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Papa Kwesi Nduom and his running mate, Bridgette Dzikonu; Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyeman, Minister of Education; Dr. Zanetor Rawlings, daughter of former President Rawlings and Convention People’s Party (CPP) vice presidential candidate, Nana Gabby Nsiah Nketia, among others.
Ms Eva Lokko was described as “woman of the first” positions because she used to be the first female among her equals to hold certain offices.
These included being the first female Director General of Ghana’s premier broadcasting network – (GBC), communications engineer and member of the first National ICT Policy drafters.
The Late Ghanaian female engineer has worked in more than 40 countries across the world.
Until her death, Eva Lokko was billed to give the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) Philip Addison and National Democratic Congress’ (NDC’s) Zanetor Rawlings a tough time for the Klottey Korley Constituency in the December parliamentary race.
In a tribute by the widower, Nii K. Bentsi-Enchill, Eva was the embodiment of her profession to the extent that family members nicknamed her “Evatronics.”
He however, regretted that hard working as his wife was, she was not appreciated while at the GBC.
“A combination of charlatans, hypocrites, liars and thieves removed her from GBC and kept her in court through seven years and two governments,” he posited.
He was happy that at the end, his wife was vindicated after what he described as “long years of litigation.”
The Council of the Regent University College of Science and Technology, in appreciation of her hard work, immortalized her memories by announcing a scholarship scheme dubbed, “Eva Lokko Scholarship” for brilliant but needy female students.
A past presiding bishop of the Methodist Church, Most Rev. Dr. Robert Aboagye-Mensah, urged Ghanaians to emulate the virtues of the late engineer and administrator.
The late Eva Lokko is survived by a husband, a son, Nii Ato Bentsi-Enchill; daughter, Naadu Bentsi-Enchill and a grandson.
By Solomon Ofori