Accra, Sept. 3, GNA – Mr Affail Monney, Vice President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has bemoaned the sudden death of Merari Alomele, Editor of “The Spectator” just when he was at his peak entertaining the public with educative publications.

He said the late Alomele popularly called Alor in media circles, was a gem who used his writings to educate, entertain and inform in a rather humorous way to sustain readers’ interests and did not deserve to have left abruptly saying, “But death as a necessary end will come when it will come”.

Mr Monney was speaking at the launch of “Sikaman Palava”, a compilation of writings of the late Alomele at the Ghana International Press Centre, in Accra on Friday.

Proceeds from the book would be used to set up an Endowment Fund for the family of the deceased.

The management of New Times Corporation, compiled the writings with funding from Kasapreko Company to publish the 224-page book.

“Alor entered the door of no return so early and at a wrong time. He was one of the greatest gems that the GJA has ever had and his departure is a blow not only to the GJA but to the reading public,” Mr Monney emphasized.

Mr Kofi Asuman, Managing Director of New Times Corporation described the late Alor as a prolific writer who adopted ‘The Spectator’ as his own child and worshipped the paper until his untimely death saying, “Alor has created a deep vacuum not only in the offices of New Times but also the reading public”.

He said Alor’s style of writing was unimaginable, as he worked tirelessly and used his writing to entertain the public and that though he had died his works would remain a souvenir for Ghanaians hence the need to publish his writings in a single document.

Mr Asuman commended Kasapreko for sponsoring the publication and launching of the book.

Mr Kwasi Gyan Apenteng, President of Ghana Association of Writers reviewing the book had no appropriate words to describe Alor’s works but advised readers to read pages 37 and 38 of the book, where Alor wrote about Christmas.

He said though Alor was writing about Christmas, he educated the public in a humorous way how Adolf Hitler engaged in war, how Iraq was invaded and how Japan was bombed and wondered whether there was a link of Christmas in Ghana and happenings around the world.

Mr Apenteng asked Alor’s family members to give the right pronunciation of “Merari Alomele” because Alor himself wrote that no one had ever pronounced the name correctly apart from his family and read extracts from the book where Alor got frustrated in a hospital because nurses, doctors and dispensers could not pronounce the name and asked him to naturalise as a Ghanaian.

He cautioned readers to be careful when reading the book in public because they may burst out in laughter in an embarrassing way.

Prince Kofi Amoabeng, Managing Director of UT Bank advised young journalists to emulate Alor by adopting his style. He bought a copy for GHc2,000 while the first two copies were sold for GHc1,000.