Deputy Director of Elections and IT for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and acting CEO of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), Dr Rashid Tanko-Computer, has shed light on the origin of his unusual surname, revealing a compelling story of academic brilliance, determination, and a nickname that turned into a legal identity.

Speaking on JoyPrime’s Prime Morning Show on Wednesday, 11 June, Mr Tanko-Computer recounted how his early prowess in mathematics and science earned him a reputation so distinctive that it permanently altered his name.

“It came as a result of my knowledge in maths and science at the lower level,” he said. “God was so charitable to me in terms of talent in those areas at a very earlier stage of my life. It was an area that I will not blink an eye when it comes to answering questions on it.”

Born and raised in Bimbila in the Northern region, with roots also in Wulensi, Mr Tanko-Computer said he was part of the pioneering batch of the Junior Secondary School (JSS) system.

Despite the challenges of growing up in a rural area, he excelled academically, scoring a distinction with an aggregate of 7 in his final exams — a performance that would typically secure a place at a top-tier school.

“My name came up for admission in top schools,” he explained, “but at that time I didn’t have enough money to go, so I had to attend Bimbila Secondary School — which is my village school.”

It was during one of his exams that a moment of brilliance would change his identity forever.

“I got 98 over 100 in the maths paper, and the second person got 57. I still remember that day,” he said. “That’s when the woman said, ‘this is a computer man’. I didn’t even know what a computer was at the time.”

The nickname stuck and quickly spread through his community. Eventually, it became so integral to his identity that he had it officially gazetted and incorporated into his legal name.

“I was just born like that,” he added with modest pride. “When I pick a document and read it once, even if you ask me 100 years later, I’ll recite it for you,” he concluded.