Three months into the hosting job, Kojo Yankson, has fitted seamlessly into the alarm clock that wakes up Ghana, Joy FM’s Super Morning Show.

Blessed with a voice like the creative work of some sound engineering studio, Kojo has demonstrated inffectious energy, spot-on humour and an unhesitating inclination to turn confrontational when it matters.

Ghana has Jerry Rawlings. John Kufuor. John Mahama. Joy FM has got Komla Dumor. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah. Kojo Yankson -- this eerie myth about needing a   ‘John’ in your name to be President of Ghana, has its own co-equal in Multimedia.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah meets his successor Kojo Yankson

 

Check your past-time, it could turn out big-time

In January this year, Kojo Yankson was doing radio at ATL FM in Cape Coast as a past-time. He had flown from U.K  to do some project at the University of Cape Coast and thought about just doing some radio job on the sidelines.

Like a small dessert in his main meal, doing radio was not really on the cards as far as his career was concerned. But at ATL FM which is an affiliate to Joy FM, Multimedia was keeping the tab’s on him - watching and waiting.

Another colossus - Kojo Oppong Nkrumah was leaving the Super Morning Show after nine years. And with the task of finding a replacement, Kofi Ansah needed a new figurehead for a well-oiled production team.

Kojo Yankson had intended to leave after the project. But it was too late. Talent and providence in the human form of Kofi Ansah Programme Manager at Joy FM meant he had made his mark already.

Let him tell you the story himself:

“One day in March this year, I came to Joy FM with a colleague for an affiliate meeting. Kofi Ansah (Programmes Director, Joy FM) was in the meeting, and I must have spoken for about 20 seconds, in response to a question. Suddenly, Kofi got up and left the room. He returned with Elvis Kwashie (Managing Editor, Joy FM), and introduced my colleague to him. When he got to me, he said, "…and this is Kojo Yankson, the new host of the Super Morning Show."

And so although for the past 12 years, Kojo Yankson has been living in London with his wife, Pamela and a son, Fifi, a quick succession of events saw Joy FM tearing into his life.

Yankson's Background

Kojo Yankson is a product of St.Augustine College, where after studying several subjects realised he preferred Macbeth to Molecules, dashing his lecturer-father's hope that his son will be a doctor. An all too familiar story if you follow the background of the late Komla Dumor.

His parents were a double-edged sword of discipline who ensured all his education was right under their nose - University Primary School, University of Cape Coast and he lived on UCC campus. At UCC he also hosted Valco FM's Morning Show.

He was let go to his own adventurous life in the U.K after his parents had stamped deep prints of discipline, hardwork and some excellent pronunciation of English words.

 

New Beginnings on the Super Morning Show

Nobody knew what to expect on his first day. At least not to hear a pitchy British accent nestled in a Fante orientation. And here at Multimedia we know every voice. But certainly not this one.

"My name is Kojo Yankson. It's my first day at work. Do you remember your first day at work, huh? Were you nervous? Did you make mistakes? Did you make an absolute donkey of yourself? At least you didn't do it infront of millions of people like me. It's my first day and I'm excited..lots of things are likely to go wrong. But I'm excited. I'm probably gonna make a complete ass of myself....new beginnings on the Super Morning Show".

Love-Hate relationship with Mahama Ayariga

The spearhead of government communication and the spearhead of Ghana's Breakfast Show have developed a love-hate relationship that has not shown any sign of waning.

Mahama Ayariga, a Havard-educated lawyer has proven to be no-push over and Kojo Yankson has proven in biblical Jacob's own words "I'm not gonna let you go until you bless me" -with answers.

When Ayariga enters the studio for an interview, it's a UFC wrestling match with no referee. The glass air-conditioned studio becomes an electric cage, few will want to hover around and the production team like co-pilots, sit behind the 'cockpit' watching the spectacle unfold.

Kojo explains the confrontation in an essay.

"I realise that our culture brings us up to revere those who earn more than we do. We tend to give people respect based on how high up the chain their job is, or how affluent or influential they are. I have a slightly different view of the human condition. I believe respect is earned. But even more importantly, I believe that public officials are put there to serve the public. So their Boss is the public. And I'm a member of the public. A member with one of the loudest voices. And the salaries of these public officials are paid from our taxes. Yours and mine. So we have the right to demand results from them, and they have the obligation to produce results for us.

"If you pay five cedis for your car to be washed and the boys wash the top and leave the bottom, you would be furious. You would probably demand that they do a better job, because you've paid five cedis for it. How much more should you demand when you're paying seven thousand cedis every month to a minister? "

"When a minister takes their pay cheque at the end of the month they are taking money from Ghanaians in exchange for a result, and as a Ghanaian, I have every right in the world to demand those results from them. But I do this with respect. And I DO respect them. You don't just get up and become a minister. It takes some achievement to become a minister, and I respect that, but I also have a job to do. And nobody will respect me if I don't do my job and call these public officials to account to Ghanaians".

The SMS has been hosted by broadcasting legends. Komla Dumor of blessed memory, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Tommy Annan Forson, KSM, and a host of others. And you would you feel the shoes will be very big to fill.

Ask Kojo and he will tell you "I brought my own shoes".

Kojo Yankson has become part of a big Multimedia Group Limited. Part of an assemblage of stars who work together everyday so much that they are unaware of their greatness – just like the milky way galaxy.