In the spirit of bestowing a deserved honor on an individual while they are alive, Mr. Anthony Barwu Sr and his lovely wife Madam Linda Paryee Barwu were treated to a befitting honoring program by his children and grandchildren at an elaborate program as a mark of what they had done to guard and guide their children over the years just as his nephew, Chief Dr. William Deiyan Towah, the Director of Finance and Administration of the ECOWAS Court of Justice extolled his virtue as a worthy man deemed to be emulated and celebrated.
The program which also commemorated the 50th wedding anniversary of the couple was held at the residence of the Barwus in Bardnersville, saw a number of prominent citizens from Grand Gedeh County, top government officials, professional colleagues of the celebrants as well as family members and community dwellers some of whom took their time to showered praises on Mr. Barwu and his wife for the manner in which they conducted their lives and related with other people no matter their origin or statuses.
In his moving welcome address, Bishop Anthony T. Barwu Jr, who leads the Heritage World Outreach (HEWO) Inc said he was grateful to the Almighty God for making the day a grand success “for the world to come and witness and know better the man Anthony Barwu Sr and his lovely wife, Madam Paryee Barwu, our parents who have been devoting their lives, time and resources to inspire us, their children and grandchildren”.
“This is something we have been planning for a very long time and today was the appropriate time to hold such an event to tell our parents thank you for what they have done and continue to do even in our adult lives. Their care, support and guidance have inspired a whole generation and we can only be thankful to the Almighty God for giving us such a wonderful heritage that we can be proud of. As beneficiaries of good parents, this event today is to also challenge us to be proud parents of our children and those unborn”, Bishop Barwu said amid cheers from the crowd.
Chief Dr. Towah who introduced Elder Barwu to the audience said despite spending most of his formative years with the chief celebrant and being supported in school, he still finds it rewarding to reap from the vast fountain of knowledge and wisdom of him. He described him as “a man of honor, valor, truthfulness, honesty, a dedicated family man and above all a God-fearing man”.
A brief historical account provided by the erudite scholar has it that Elder Barwu was born on June 22, 1950 unto the union of Paramount Chief Gbarnyonoh Barwu and Madam Slue Beiley Barwu. His father was a renowned ruler who led the Konobo Kingdom for nearly 50 years before his demise and left an impressive legacy that the current generation still boasts about.
He said after a tedious academic journey which took him from Ziah Town to Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County and at the CH Dewey High School in Bomi Hills, he was able to finally graduate from the Richard Henries High School in Monrovia. He then matriculated to the then CC Pennoh Commercial School in where he graduated with a Diploma in Accounting and subsequently obtained an Associate degree Accounting from the International Correspondence School in Pennsylvania, United States of America.
His illustrious career path followed at several private institutions some whom he nurtured from infancy to full blown corporate entities. He then entered public service first starting as Chief Accountant at the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and then rose to the position of Financial Comptroller of the entity. He later on got employed at the Ministry of Finance as Deputy Comptroller for Cash Management a position he held with dignity before returning to the private sector.
The historical account furthered that his call to serve God led him to pursue studies in theology and divinity and in the process, he received a Diploma, Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Theology and Divinity respectively from the Ghana Shalom School of Theology and its affiliate in the United States.
In his brief appreciation speech, Elder Barwu who along with his wife of 50 years, had made a grand entry to the venue of the program and virtually out of words said the day was the most remarkable and memorable day in his life that his children and grandchildren would think of such an occasion to honor him and his wife.
“There is nothing more a parent would wish for than to pray and see your children growing up, becoming successful and coming back to you and saying father and mother, thank you people so much for what you have done for us. This is what our children have done today. We brought them up to be good children, to grow up as good adults to have their own children too and cherish the good side of life. And so, I want to take this time to bless them; my children, we have given you the blessing to see good things. To see your children too coming to appreciate you and tell you thank you for what you did for them”, an emotionally charged Barwu said amid cheers and standing ovation.
Commenting on how he got his wife, Barwu said it came at a time in his life as an adult that his late sister told him he was getting older and needed to be married which according to him got to him so hard and decided to accomplish the feat.
“So, I had a dream but could not interpret it so I bought a dream book from the Muslim bookstore and the interpretation was that I will get married, have many children and live a happy life. I was stunned but took it in a positive manner.
“One day I left Randall Street where I was living and went to the Capitol Bye Pass and saw a young lady roasting cassava, right there my mind ran on her and told myself this is the woman I want. When we started, we were hiding but one day, her aunty brought her to me surprisingly and asked me Anthony, do you know this girl, I said yes, she just said today this is your wife and that was just how it began”, he said, attracting laughter and jokes from the crowd. The union is blessed with 13 children who are successfully pursuing various careers of their choices.
Speaking to the media on the sideline of the occasion, the third son of the celebrants, Dr. Boyee Barwu said he was extremely proud of his parents and the day was just the physical expression of how he and his siblings decided to reciprocate what they got from their parents. He said despite the obstacles experienced down the line including living in refugee camps in Sierra Leone during the war, the parents did their utmost best to get them the foundation they needed to be where they are today.
“This program goes beyond mere celebration; it is to see and show what has been put into what has turned out to be a success story for us the children. They provided the environment and it is because of the environment that took us to where we are. If you want to make a change in your life, you change the environment; they helped to change our environment”, Dr. Barwu said.
He said beyond the program, he intends to ensure that he provides comfort and financial freedom for his parents so that they will continue to enjoy the fruits of their labor. “They instilled in us the culture of not giving up, to be upright, productive and respectful not only to our parents but those who we come in contact with. This is just the right time to appreciate our parents and those who are here will bear witness of what can be the reward for good parents”, Dr. Barwu said.
After attending high school, young Barwu got a transformation in life when he was opportune to travel to the United States of America and made use of the educational opportunities to attend the University of Minnesota where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the same the University. He has set up his own private practice and is striving exceptionally.
The celebration was characterized by singing, dancing and enough food and drinks for the guests.
