Introducing Sammy Lartey …..

Can you tell us a bit about your journey since 1980?

I returned to 6th form and discovered that David Okai and I had been shipped to Guggisberg as the Gyamfi guys had returned in their numbers and Guggisberg was quite empty. I also initially started off in L6M, but as I realised my mathematics was better than biology, transferred to L6E after a couple of weeks. I was almost made Senior Prefect, but did not think I would have what it took to lead, besides I was doing too much sprints (100m, 200m and 400m) and was team captain for the School’s athletics team.

After Motown, I was part of the ‘Exodus’ to ‘Greener Pastures’ – United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany – anywhere to get away from Ghana circa 1980-1985. I was with the UK crowd with ‘Visa on Arrival’ if you had a relatively good story and support system from family and friends (friend in this case being girlfriend who became wife). Add the acquisition of the National Insurance (NI) number to get a job (I acknowledge an Akora GC) for this from the first week in McDonald’s (Kilburn High Road Branch to be precise).

Over the subsequent years till 2010 in the UK, my career involved working in Logistics/Operations (UPS, Palmer and Harvey Snacks, Yakult UK ltd), Marketing (Proctor and Gamble) as well as a Branch Manager within the High Street Retail Wines and Spirits industry. I also completed my degree in Business Studies during this period. 

After years of working in the UK, did you encounter any initial issues upon your relocation to Ghana?

The UK seems to have more opportunities, but you are labelled with the previous roles and not given the chance to prove any other skills acquired except what the CV indicates. In Ghana, transferable skills are recognised but there are not as many opportunities and therefore it’s more difficult to move from one organisation to the next.

Over the past decade, you’ve worked in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Are there any comparatives to Ghana?

A different form of corruption exists in all three countries. Ghana has its’ own way of corruption but the level of poverty, compounded by the internal civil wars in both Liberia and then Sierra Leone means that extracting money illegally is done in a more aggressive way.

An example, the Liberian has a story and a line each morning to involve their Police (they would obviously benefit from the scam) about you not making a payment which was due to them, even when they have signed that they received the payment and then causing some inconvenience or delay to your schedule and this included/with the connivance of employees you could have worked with for a year or more.

Can you enlighten us a bit more about your work in Liberia and the environment?

My job was the Administrative Manager of a family firm which had won a contract from the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) for the connection and distribution of power between the West African Union countries. My duties ranged from securing visas and work permits for the staff from Ghana, payroll, clearing, managing a fleet of trucks and transporting materials to site 200 miles away, then to meetings with ministers including HE Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as this was a flagship project of providing cheaper electricity from Ivory Coast to some of the eastern parts of Liberia. Part of the role also involved travelling to Croatia and Egypt for the Factory Acceptance test (FAT) for the generators. Most of Liberia is powered by fuel power generators.

This put the organisation but also the staff  in the public eye. We completed part of the contract in and around 2012 in the Nimba County area and it was great to see the street lights and businesses connecting to this grid now being powered by these transmission lines that I had a hand in constructing.

Liberia has lots of beautiful beaches plus picturesque mountains, but unfortunately part of the road network outside Monrovia was deplorable.

What about Family life and are there any difficulties in working alone abroad without your Wife and Children?

I got married initially in the late 80s, divorced and subsequently re-married in the late 90s. I’ve got three Daughters and two Sons with the age range from 31 to 17. 

You miss the family and in the third or fourth year away from London was quite glad the contract had come to some kind of conclusion and I could hand over, although phone cards, holidays and air tickets were built into the terms and conditions.

As Chair of the Cadet Planning committee for the forthcoming Founders day, can you enlighten us of preparations and festivities planned for the event?

Although I am the lead for the 1980 group of the cadet corps, Hoffman Lartey has been excellent in the arrangements especially as he has been to most of the meetings and the 1970 group had a head start on what needed to be done. It seems we, the 1980 representatives, are tagging along with most of the planning and activities. Our Project (Refurbishment of the staff Washrooms) was completed within the relevant tight deadline by Hoffman Lartey and was handed over to the school a couple of weeks ago.

Who are we accountable to and who are we accountable for?

God has a plan for you and OAA 1980 (Good Company). Please use your skills and talents for you, family and friends including this group, the country and perhaps internationally as well. I believe paths cross for a reason and there is so much evidence of this in our lives therefore I take this opportunity to say thank you to everybody for being part of the story so far.

“When our books are laid aside and we scatter far and wide……”

You hinted earlier about being the GC Usain Bolt whilst you were in 6th form, Are you still an active or armchair sportsman these days?

I was the Usain Bolt of the time but transferred the speed to playing on the wings (Number 11) in football. In the UK, the football season in London was in the winter and it was a bit too cold and so I became goalkeeper for the team I was with (I could pad up and keep warm). However, these days in short I am an armchair sportsman now.

And finally, how will you be celebrating your impending birthday early next month?

Most probably a quiet one on the 2nd but definitely a louder one on the weekend of the 6th, 7th and 8th of March.

Sammy Lartey

1A, 2D, 3?, 4S2, 5S2, L6E, U6E

Gyamfi/Guggisberg House