He is the mastermind behind some of Ghana’s most prestigious corporate awards, but the journey to the top for Richard Abbey Jnr was marked by a two-year period of educational darkness that nearly derailed his future.

Appearing on JoyNews’ PM Express on Friday, 10th April 2026, the CEO of Xodus Communications Limited and founder of the Forty Under 40 Awards shared a deeply personal account of his upbringing, revealing that he was once sacked from school for non-payment of fees, a setback that left him sitting at home for two years.

This forced hiatus from the classroom is the reason, Abbey explains, that he often appeared older than his peers during his formative years. While his mates progressed, he was grounded by financial instability, eventually completing St. Anthony JSS at the age of 17.

“I was delayed in school for 2 years. I didn't go to school because they had sacked me for school fees. So I sat in the house for 2 years,” Abbey disclosed. “That's why my age is older than my mates... At 18, I was now entering Accra Academy.”

Abbey’s childhood was dominated by the presence of a father he described as a "very hard guy", a traditional disciplinarian whose strictness defined the household. However, in a rare moment of vulnerability, the CEO revealed that the years of friction eventually led to a powerful moment of reconciliation.

“My father actually apologised to me and I don't have a problem saying [it],” he told host Emefa Adeti.

Despite the domestic and financial pressures, Abbey noted that he survived the ordeal through a "principle of faith." Faced with uncertainty about his future, he turned to spiritual discipline, recalling a specific period of intense preparation before making a major move in his life.

“I had assumed the principle of faith... where I was going, I had prayed, so I had prayed three days,” he said, describing the spiritual resolve that underpinned his transition from a school dropout to a budding professional.

Today, as the CEO at Xodus Communications, Richard Abbey Jnr oversees platforms that celebrate the very thing he was once denied.

His story serves as a reminder that institutional delays and financial barriers do not define a person’s ultimate destination.

By sharing his history of sitting at home for two years due to poverty, Abbey aims to inspire a younger generation of Ghanaians who may currently be facing similar "delays" in their own academic or professional pursuits.