Sonetco Institute (SI) has paid a glowing tribute to the memory of Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy, the first woman professor in science at the University of Ghana and an ardent promoter of science and girl-child education in Ghana who died Tuesday morning.

The Institute in a statement venerates the late professor as an example for women in general to emulate for the betterment of the country and worldwide. She died at the age of 72.

Statement of Condolence: A nation is down, tribute to Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy

Sonetco Institute [SI] sends a message of condolence to the family of late Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy. We mourn, empathize and celebrate a daughter of the land with you. We believe women are the pivot of society that development revolves around. Dr. Kwagyire Aggrey said “if you educate a man, you educate an individual but if you educate a woman you educate a nation". On this reality of wisdom SI proclaims if we lose a man to our ancestors, we lose an individual but if we lose a woman like Prof Ewurama Addy, then a nation has fallen (down).

She changed the face of science in general. As a resource person for science education programmes in Ghana, Prof Addy became very popular as the host of the Science and Maths quiz television programme - Brilliant Science and Maths Quiz. She made science simple and exciting as subject while setting a pace for women in science. Where it was no go zone for women, with respect to science, she endeavoured and succeeded. She was a gem in academia (biochemistry). She taught both basic and applied science, to undergraduate, post-graduate, dental and medical students at the University of Ghana, Legon and at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington DC.

She was the first Woman of professorship in science at University of Ghana, Legon. Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy was a Professor of Biochemistry and served Ghana and humanity in many capacities. She was instrumental in making traditional medicine an accepted alternative means for health care. Until she passed on, She was the Chair of the Policy Committee on Developing Countries (PCDC), a Committee of the International Council for Science, (ICSU), Chair of Ghana’s National Board for Professional and Technicians Examinations (NABPTEX), member of WHO Regional Expert Committee on Traditional Medicine, advisor to the International Foundation for Science, Stockholm, Sweden and Founder and First Executive Secretary of Western Africa Network of Natural Products Research Scientists (WANNPRES), established February 2002.

Her astute excellence in both home and abroad won her many awards. These include the Millennium Excellence Award for Educational Development at the turn of the millennium; UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the popularization of science in 1999; The Africa-America Institute’s Distinguished Alumna for Excellence in 1998 and Marketing Woman of the Year, in 1995, for marketing Science, just to mention a few aside the many boards she served on.

Her passion for youth development especially girl-child education in the area of science was notable and experiential. Sonetco Institute believes she fought a good fight and her legacy must be an example for women in science and academia and society in general to take a stand for the betterment of Ghana and humankind. DAMIRIFA DUE, DA YIYE PROF MARIAN EWURAMA ADDY

Eric E. Essel – 0244381797

Kwasi Dawood – 0246399412

Robert Ahiabenu – 0242357975

Administrators; SONETCO Institute.

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