Ahead of the launch of two books about ace broadcaster, Komla Dumor, some of his friends and family on Wednesday honoured his legacy with fond memories of him on live radio.

The books, ‘The Dreamer’ and ‘Komla Dumor in His Element’ both focus on the late BBC and Joy FM broadcaster; his life and his work.

It's been six years since the respected journalist passed away in London, United Kingdom.

Survived by his wife, and children he also left behind a legacy which has inspired the next generation of journalists.

On Joy FM's Super Morning Show, a show he once hosted with excellence, Komla Dumor's friends and family shared touching insightful memories about him in a way that shed light on the character of the man that is celebrated by millions in Ghana and abroad.

Ken Ashigbey, who was the General Manager of Joy FM between 2003 and 2006 worked with the former host of the radio station’s morning show, and remembers him as someone who exuded an infectious passion in his work.

“I remember the last conversations we had, walking down from State House and we had come for a programme. That evening we were talking about Ghana. His passion for Ghana, his passion for Africa, his passion for the Black Man, his passion to give the voiceless a voice - it’s infectious,” he said to the host of the Super Morning Show, Daniel Dadzie.

Komla Dumor on the BBC

Other colleagues remember the Ghanaian host of BBC’s Focus on Africa, as someone who was willing to learn.

“When it's a production meeting and there are issues to be discussed; he doesn’t have any control over that technical subject [but] he would look for knowledge. He’ll come in and speak to you if it has to do with law, finance, technical engineering, or whatever it is.

He would look for the best of the best, speak to the person and take his time to rehearse. And then he liked writing because Komla won’t come to the studio without writing anything on a paper and from the opening to the closing,” Charles Mensa said on the show.

Most of the people shared fond memories of Komla Dumor, acknowledge his ability to connect with everybody he meets.

Komla Dumor stood for the voiceless and made sure his country, Ghana, was portrayed in a positive light to the world.

His elder sister, Mawuena Trebarh who has made waves in her own right, like her brother, credited the values her brother had to how their parents raised them.

“I think the focus was on being someone who is part of the solution as opposed to someone who is part of the problem and always trying to strive for excellence.

"There is always an opportunity to do a little bit better. Not necessarily because you need to beat yourself up but because when you look at your context there’s definitely somebody else who’s living with far more difficult circumstances.

"That should be a precursor to know that if you have the privilege of access to knowledge, the access to education, access and exposure to other cultures and other opportunities - your responsibility is to create the chance, open the door for somebody else who doesn’t have it and so it doesn’t really matter who that person is,” said Mawuena Trebah.

Komla Dumor with Bill Clinton

She added that other people who met Komla on his journey to success influenced his work ethics and his views.

“There are other people who influenced Komla over his lifetime. People whose styles or systems he admired, inculcated into who he was becoming and who was developing to become. It could be a young child, it could be a much older person, it could be one of his contemporaries.

There are so many different Ghanaians who Komla came across, in-country and outside the country, people from other nationalities. So in effect as a human being, you can be influenced positively to be better and I think those are the things that helped him to gain the sort of success by God’s grace that he did enjoy.”

The two books that will be launched at Movenpick Hotel on Thursday 20 February include insights of the late journalist’s life, gathered by his father, Professor Ernest Dumor, who sourced the content from Komla’s journals, photos and articles.

The books will also explore the journalist’s low moments in life and how he rose above them. ‘The Dreamer’ and ‘Komla Dumor in His Element’ are books aiming to inpsire the next generation.

All funds raised from the book will be used to set up an endowment fund for people like him who want to go to the next level in their careers striving for excellence.