Students and staff of the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC) on July 5, 2024, gathered for a vigil in honour of the memory of Mr. Isaac Nti Ofori, a lecturer in the Department of Integrated Social Sciences (DISS), who passed away in May 2024.
The vigil held in the university’s main auditorium at the South Legon Campus was a nostalgic tribute to Mr Nti’s Ofori’s life and legacy.
The atmosphere in the auditorium was gloomy as Mr. Ofori’s students, colleagues, family and friends came together to share stories and their memories of the deceased lecturer. In a short documentary film produced as a tribute and screened during the solemn event, students and colleagues shared fond memories of Mr Nti Ofori’s warm persona as a lecturer, colleague, friend and mentor. “Mr Nti Ofori was more than a lecturer; he was a guiding light in our academic journey,” a student testified. “It feels surreal that Mr Nti Ofori is no more.” another person said.
The vigil featured moving tributes from the University management, the Faculty of Integrated Communication Sciences (FICS), the Department of Integrated Social Sciences (DISS), the University Teachers Association (UTAG) and students. To lift spirits and to console all gathered, Rev. Yaw Odame Gyau preached a brief sermon on life, death and judgment. Rev. Gyau admonished all gathered to take solace in Mr. Ofori’s good deeds on earth because he will be rewarded by his maker who will grant him eternal rest. In climaxing the vigil, candles were lit to symbolize light and hope.
Speaking on behalf of Mr Nti Ofori’s family, Mr Ofori Kyei expressed gratitude to the entire university community, especially the management of the university for the outpouring of support, saying, “We are comforted by the love and appreciation shown by the university community.”
Mr Isaac Nti Ofori joined UniMAC as a lecturer in 2020. He worked in the Department of Integrated Communication Sciences and taught various courses such as Social Psychology, Persuasion and Social Persuasion, Basic Concepts in Sociology and Development Theories. He was a final year PhD student at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), a member of the Ghana Psychology Council (GPC) and the Global Network for Humanitarian Work Psychology.
