The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has revealed the level of relationship that existed between the party and the late managing editor of The Punch, Mr Ebenezer AtoGyasi Sam, who is known fondly as "Baby Ansaba".

According to the party, the late Mr Sam shared an enviable relationship with the party in a manner that saw constant interaction on national issues during which he expressed his opinions on how things should be.

In a tribute at the funeral service for the late "Baby Ansaba" on Saturday at the Emmanuel Temple of the International Central Gospel Church at Weija, the chairman of the NDC, Mr. Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, said the relationship was kept even to the last days of the late Journalist.

The party chairman, who said he was equally representing the presidential candidate of the NDC for the 2020 election, John Dramani Mahama, donated an amount of Ghc5000.00 to the bereaved family.

The party chairman, who was accompanied by the Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Peter Boamah Otorkunor, the deputy National Communication Officer, Mr Godwin Arko Gunn and the Youth Organizer, Mr Georg Opare-Addo, described the late Journalist, as fearless who spoke his mind.

"As a party, we had a very cordial relationship with "Baby Ansaba" .We kept faith with him so much that during his admission at the hospital, we were still in discussion with him over a wide range of issues", the party chairman stressed.

Mr Ato Sam, whose sad death occurred on November 30, 2020, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, was a former editor of the Daily Guide for many years, as well as the Free Press among others.

He became a household name because of his articulation and prolific writings on socio-political happenings in Ghana, whose contemporaries were Kweku Baako Jnr of The New Crusading Guide and Kwesi Pratt Jnr of The Insight newspaper.

A former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Kwabena Agyepong, who was also at the funeral service eulogised "Baby Ansaba".

In his tribute, he told the congregation that he made friends with the late Mr Sam, when he was the press Secretary for former John Agyekum Kufuor, whiles Ato Sam was the presidential correspondent for The Daily Guide newspaper.

He remembered him for speaking his mind irrespective of who it favours, adding that the late Ato Sam usually meant well with what he espoused.

At the church to mourn with the family was the President of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) Mr Roland Affail Monney.

A former General Secretary of the GJA, Mr Bright Blewu and ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, were also at the funeral service.

Mr Ato Sam who was born on September 7, 1963, in Takoradi, attended the Otwereso primary in the Akyemansah District of the Eastern region from 1970 to 1976 and continued at the AME Zion Middle school Winneba.

He later attended the ATTC Junior Secondary School (JSS) and obtained his Junior Secondary Certificate in 1983.

He then continued at the Winneba Secondary School where he obtained his West Africa Examination Certificate (WAEC) General Certificate of Education (GCE) ordinary level in 1985 and enrolled for the GCE advanced level which he obtained in 1988.

In 1991, he obtained a diploma in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism and further obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies in 2014 and capped his quest for academic pursuit with a Master of Arts degree in Media Management from the same GIJ in 2016, but finally enrolled for a degree in Law.

He left behind a daughter and his father, as well as step-mother who is a Reverend Minister. He had eight other siblings.

Uncontrollable tears filled the eyes of mourners who thronged the church. Some of the mourners The Herald spoke to said he was a generous and a selfless person.