AUTOBIOGRAPHY
MAJOR EMMANUEL TELFORD TETTEH (RTD)
Early Years
I was born on Sunday, 10th October 1936, at Ogome, Dawa near Bisa in the Upper Manya Krobo constituency of the Eastern Region of Ghana.
I was the fifth of the seven children born to my parents, Dociatse Tetteh – Kokroko, and Docianye Narkwor, both deceased at the time I write this.
In 1946, at the age of ten, I started my basic school education at the Akro Junior School at Prekumase near Asesewa. I completed basic school in 1951. I proceeded to middle school and, by dint of hard work, sat for and passed the Middle School exams in 1954.
After completing middle school, I moved to Accra and enrolled at St. Thomas Aquinas College and completed in 1959. Due to my love for literature, which was my favourite subject, my schoolmates at St. Thomas Aquinas nicknamed me, D-Litt (Doctor of Literature). I could quote verbatim passages and verses from Shakespeare and my favourite poets and literary writers whenever I wanted to engage in intellectually stimulating conversations. I cherish being an Old Tom, perhaps because it was during my time there that I met my wife, Josephine.
From 1959 through 1960, I worked at several places, including the Presbyterian Book Depot, The Bureau of Ghana Languages, and the Immigration Department of the then Ministry of Interior. It was during this time that I found myself and decided on my career path and chose my profession—to join the military.
The Infantry Soldier
I was enlisted into the Military Academy and Training School at Teshie in October 1961. On September 30, 1962, I graduated from the Military Academy, the University of the Army, and was commissioned as an Officer of the Ghana Armed Forces by the first President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
I was immediately assigned to the First Battalion of Infantry, then located in Ranchi Barracks, Takoradi. In 1964, the Battalion moved to Myohaung Barracks at Apremdu. In April of the same year, as a young Lieutenant, I was reposted to the Armed Forces Recruits Training Centre at Kumasi, where I served for 18 months, after which I was returned to my mother unit.
I remained and served with the First Battalion of Infantry from 1962 until I retired from the military on December 31, 1979, at the rank of Major.
Appointments Held with Dates:
Platoon Commander, 1 Battalion of Infantry, September 1962 – April 1964
Platoon Commander, Armed Forces Training Centre, April 1964 – September 1965
Platoon Commander, 1 Battalion of Infantry, September 1965 – June 1968
Staff Officer (Accommodation), Ministry of Defence, July 1968 – May 1969
Platoon Commander, 1 Battalion of Infantry, May 1969 – August 1974
Officer Commanding, United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Middle East, Sinai, August 1974 – January 1975
Staff Officer (Coordinator), Military Academy and Training Schools, January 1975 – May 1977
Staff Officer (Coordinator), Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, April 1978 – December 1979
Medals:
Ghana Revolution Day (February 1968)
Redemption Day Medal (13 February 1974)
UNIFIL (16th Dec 1974 & 23rd May 1978)
Christian Faith
While I was still serving in the military, I seldom went to church despite being a baptized Presbyterian. My wife, Joe, reported me to my late mother. Both of them kept admonishing me and insisting that I make it a habit to attend church regularly and seek the Lord in my youth. I heeded their advice.
However, when I retired from the military and returned to live mostly in my home in Atua, the closest Presbyterian church was the Zimmerman Presbyterian Church at Odumase, Manya Krobo. Not wanting to go all the way to Odumase from Atua every Sunday, I decided to found the Atua St. Paul Presbyterian Church in 1982, with the assistance of some key and influential personalities in the community. The affiliated model preparatory school was founded in 1986.
The Apostle Paul has remained my favorite Bible personality; hence, we named the church after Apostle Paul—St. Paul Congregation.
St. Paul Congregation celebrated its 40th Anniversary on September 18, 2022. Thankfully, I was honored as the Founder, and the only surviving member of the pioneers of the church. All my brothers and sisters whom I invited to join as elders of the church had been called to glory ahead of me. I remain the Life Patron of the choir.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I joined the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) and fellowshipped initially with the Tema Chapter, and later, the Somanya Chapter, which met at the Universal College and later at my Kokroko bar. This was a period of immense spiritual growth for me.
Faith and Family
In the last few years, because I am old and attending church regularly became a challenge, I once again made a request to the Presbyterian Church of Ghana to establish a church in my home in Osupanya. This one I named St. John.
All my children are baptized and confirmed Presbyterians, as are some of my grandchildren.
I love the Lord and love to sing of Him. Included in my endless list of favorite Presbyterian hymns is Hymn number 644. The words of this hymn are a reflection of who God has been to me.
My name is Emmanuel—God has always been with me, and His angels always surround and protect me.
Life in Politics and Leadership
I consider myself a soldier, not a politician.
But with the advent of partisan politics in 1992, I joined hands with like-minded comrades and became a Founding Member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) both in the Upper and Lower Manya Krobo constituencies in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
I contested the parliamentary elections in 1992 and was elected Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Constituency in the First Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
Subsequently, I was appointed Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Agriculture in charge of Fisheries. Two years later, I was elevated to the position of Eastern Regional Minister. I held that position until 1996, when President J.J. Rawlings reassigned me as Minister of State at The Office of the President, The Castle, Osu.
I resigned from government in 1997 but have remained a staunch member of the NDC.
My family has followed in my stead and are key members of the National Democratic Congress both in Ghana and abroad.
I remind them to keep very, very high standards and values even as they pursue their various aspirations in politics and public service.
It is said that you cannot do politics with a conscience, but a conscience you must have!
In addition to the roles I have played in politics and in government, I served as:
Board Chairman for Anum Presbyterian Secondary School for about eight years
Member of the Board of the Manya Krobo Rural Bank
Member of the Interim Committee of the Manya Krobo District Council
President of the District Scouts Association
Traditional Leadership
In 1986, I was enstooled as Jasetse for the Atua Ogome Stool.
My stool name is Jase Teye Ahweyeeh.
I am the Chairman of the nine houses which are responsible for electing a Chief for the Atua Ogome Stool whenever it becomes vacant.
Entrepreneurship
After I retired from the military in 1979, my wife Joe also left her employment with the Ghana Education Service, and we set up a number of business enterprises.
The first was Moonrock Distilleries. The products of the distillery included our brands of spirits and alcoholic beverages, namely:
Marshall’s Schnapps
Baron’s Brandy
Nazareth Wine
Major Gin
Joe and I established the Kokroko Stores and Bar, which was the go-to place in the late 1970s through to the 1990s. We also operated a fuel station alongside this business.
We were also major distributors for:
Ghacem
Unilever
Nestlé
ABC Breweries
Additionally, we were registered agents of National Lotteries.
Post-Government Business Ventures
After I resigned from government, I registered Hettet Det Ltd, a construction company that built a few dormitory blocks in public secondary schools in Ghana.
In 2004, I added another company—Kokroko Guest House at Atua. However, age was not on my side, so I could not build and run the business as I had wished.
Since the guest house did not flourish as I had hoped, and being someone always interested in farming and agriculture, I started a piggery and a mango plantation to keep me occupied in my old age.
Family
I first met my wife Josephine in February 1959. We had our traditional marriage on September 1, 1963, followed by our wedding on June 6, 1965.
Joe and I were blessed with five wonderful children:
Nelly
Emmanuel
Louisa
Peace
Mark
Eight years ago, we suffered a devastating loss when we lost our son, Dr. Emmanuel Telford Tetteh (Jnr.) at the prime age of 48.
My second wife, Nancy, I married customarily in 1982. We have five other children:
Ellen
Ishmael
Docia
Phyllis
John
By the last count, I have 21 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
In addition to my own biological children, I raised and educated my younger siblings, nieces, nephews, and many extended family members. All of them refer to me as Daddy and/or Uncle Ted!
Daddy, as we knew and experienced him
Major Ted Tetteh was many things to many people.
To us, his children, he was our anchor, teacher, cheerleader, and upholder of traditional values and culture. He was a true soldier in all its essence.
Daddy was our strength and defender—he did not tolerate any lies against his children. He was extremely protective, especially of his beautiful daughters (he always reminded us about that).
Daddy insisted that we speak Krobo, and for that, we are eternally grateful. He taught us the history of our family and Kroboland through proverbs, stories, and lessons in impeccable Krobo.
Major Ted Tetteh’s Personality
Ted Tetteh had a sharp wit and great sense of humor—he made us laugh hilariously many times with his stories, comments, clichés, and sharp tongue.
Major was generous to a fault. In his left breast pocket, he always had money, which he would give out to anyone he met in the course of the day with his usual blessings: “Have a good day.”
His home was open to all walks of life—clergy, politicians, chiefs, and ordinary men. He believed in and lived the scripture in Galatians 6:2:
“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Major Ted Tetteh was fearless, principled, and did not suffer fools. He believed that it was not necessary to argue with a fool, because people might not notice the difference.
He was likeable and knew how to make people feel welcome.
Major’s Joy and Faith
Major Tetteh’s joy was palpable each time God blessed him with a grandchild.
He was deliberate in choosing meaningful Krobo names, which reinforced his faith in God and the value he placed on future generations.
He proclaimed his faith in God’s sovereignty by coining the name Tsaatse Maudjitse, meaning:
“The Lord God is King”—for one of his grandsons.
Major sought to remind his grandchildren that they are priceless and worth more than gold. He suggested that one of them be named Opesika (“worth more than gold”) and another Korliyoe (“priceless gem”).
A Grandfather’s Joy
He was over the moon with joy when he started welcoming his great-grandchildren.
Many times, he would say in Krobo:
“Aoo imi Tetteh, n3 Mau djor kionor”
(Asking, Is it me, Tetteh, that the Lord has blessed so much?)
He insisted that his children and grandchildren visit him often. He felt so proud to learn of their progress in school.
Major Ted Tetteh’s Values
Major Ted Tetteh was a disciplinarian, strict, and had zero tolerance for laziness.
As a father, he taught his children the values of:
Integrity
Honesty
Diligence
Discipline
Respect
Timeliness
Cleanliness
Truthfulness
Independence
Humility
Confidence
To teach his lessons on independence, he would often ask:
“What would you do if your daddy was not there?”
When he became a Minister, he reminded his children that he was the Minister, not them.
He told them not to walk around with bloated egos as “the Minister’s child.”
He was not one to indulge in gossip, because he would call you out the moment the person you gossiped about appeared!
Major valued education and ensured that all his children received a good one.
He would visit them in school to remind them:
“If you want to go to heaven, you must die first.”
To wit, if you want to excel in school, you must put in the hard work. Otherwise, when asked to analyze a butterfly, all you would say is:
“Butterfly fly here, butterfly fly there…”
Major was the father who edited his children’s letters and sent them back to them in school.
He attended graduations and gave military salutes when his children topped their class or year group—this made him very proud.
He raised his children with love and discipline.
He knew their strengths and weaknesses, provided full fatherly support, and took a keen interest in their careers and marriages.
He counseled and encouraged them through diverse challenges.
To encourage them, he often sang MHB 511.
His Relationships & Legacy
He had pet names for our spouses—notably, the Kate of Aragon!
He took an interest in the friends of his children and always asked about them, ensuring that they maintained good friendship networks.
He loved intellectual discussions and acknowledged superior arguments made by his children.
He wanted to hear their thoughts and was not afraid to admit when he was wrong.
Tributes from Family, Church & Nation
Major Emmanuel Telford Tetteh, your wife Josephine says:
“Onward Christian Soldier… march on.”
She says she can hear you hum it, just as you did last Christmas in the hospital.
Your children say:
“Thank you, Daddy, for everything. We are proud children of our father. We shall keep your memory and legacy alive!”
Your grandchildren want you to know:
“We will remember and honor our heritage and also learn and improve our Krobo speaking.”
The Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) is eternally grateful and prays:
“The Lord be with you till we meet again.”
The Ghana Armed Forces that you served diligently salutes and honors you today, Gallant Soldier!
The NDC says:
“Rest on, Gallant Founding Member and Comrade! Eye Zu!”
Final Salute
Major Emmanuel Ted Tetteh, you lived!
You fought the good fight of faith.
May the angels of God lead you to your maker and may He grant you eternal rest.
“Daddy, Kpomo kpomo, kpomo! Kokroko, Oke nyemi saminya!!! Till we meet again… March on, Soldier! We Salute!!!”
