MAIDEN EDITION OF 10QFNC SEASON 4 FT OXFORD BOAMAH, FORMER CEO OF WONDERFUL PUB

Is it too late to wish you a happy new year? I doubt. I hope 2020 has been purposeful so far. It kind of shocks me to realise that season 4 of 10QFNC is here already, oh how time flies. Anyways, my guest today was my coursemate back in the university. We connected the very first day we met; not just because he’s also a poet, attended Owass or is a Kumasi guy but also because he’s affable, down to earth and very intelligent. Let’s get to know him more shall we?

Me: Happy new year Joe and welcome to 10QFNC

Joe: Thank you Alby. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Q1. You’re my first guest, please bring us luck 🙂. How would you introduce yourself to someone knowing you for the first time?

Joe: Wow ain’t I blessed. I’m full of surprises so you know, your wish might just come through. Well, my name is Joseph Oxford Boamah, RMS. A Diagnostic Medical Sonographer by profession aspiring to be an interventional cardiologist in the future. I can go on but I’m sure there are other questions so let me just leave it here for now.

Q2. You were a class rep back in KNUST. Is there any other leadership role you’ve held or currently hold?

Joe: Don’t really know where to start from

Me : Anywhere

Joe: Well let’s go back to SHS. In SHS, I was the Main House Prefect, was the Secretary for the Prefectoral Board, Secretary for the Protestant Community, Organizer for the Baptist Union and others I don’t really remember. Yea so that’s what I can remember.

Q3. Was it unfulfillment of being a sonographer that pushed you not to practise for long?

Joe: Unfulfillment will not be the word I will use. Rather I will say being a sonographer actually challenged me to push further

Truthfully, I chose this particular place not based on any prior knowledge about the place but rather it was the cheapest amongst the other admissions I got. I’m currently studying in Russia, a popular city known as Volgograd.

Q4. You set up a restaurant (Wonderful Pub) at Komfo Anokye. How did that come about and is it still functioning?

Joe: My mum and I used to run a restaurant together and we were contacted by someone in the clinical hostel who had already patronized our food to send in a business plan. We sent the plan and it was accepted. I actually based the plan solely on the things we students loved back in pre-clinical years and decided to come up with something that will keep the students in the hostel rather than going out to get food. So that was how it came about but currently it’s not functioning.

Me: Why isn’t it?

Joe: My mother had some health problems so she couldn’t continue with the restaurant business again and I wasn’t around to also help with the management.

Me: I hope her own restaurant is still running though

Joe: No please. She had to stop working because of her health issue. And we couldn’t get trusted workers to take it up so we decided to close it down.

Me: It is well!

Joe: Yea 🙏 Thanks 🙏

You’re welcome. Talking about your mum, you have a beautiful friendship with her aside her being your parent.
Q5. How many children does she have?

Joe: 😊She has only two and I’m the eldest😊. I have a younger brother and we grew up in Kumasi, Tafo Nhyiaeso to be precise.

Q6. Of all the senior high schools in Ghana, why ‘The Cowboys’?

Joe: Really, was expecting you to ask why THE SCHOOL

Me: Well, doesn’t change ‘The Cowboys’ status.

Joe: lol. To be frank it wasn’t the first school I wanted. I was actually going to choose PRESEC but my mum wanted me to be close so she can visit often and get to know how I was doing since at that time, I wasn’t really fit health-wise.

Me: I bet you have no regret

Joe: Not really. I still love PRESEC but I don’t regret going to OWASS

Q7. Would you call your childhood ‘spoilt’? Mamas boy?

Joe: Ei no oo. Not not not. Didn’t have a luxurious childhood like that ooo.

Me: Not many drove in the university like you did lolx

Joe: lol really.

Q8. Would you encourage someone to read sonography…does it have a future enough?

Joe: Yes of course. Sonography to me is like a work of a detective. It’s actually an aspect of medicine I truly love; being a diagnostician. You get into critical thinking by using the patients presentation and symptoms (clinical correlations and sonographic findings) to come up with a diagnosis. If anyone is interested in being a diagnostician, sonography has the best to offer.

And yes Sonography really has a future in Ghana. I remember one cardiologist in KATH telling me that, the cardiologists really don’t want to do the scans and they wish there are sonographers who could really do it.

Also many clinicians want to partner with sonographers; so it indeed has a future.

Q9. What drew you to your girlfriend? And oh, she’s very beautiful

Joe: loI knew that was coming.

Me: Hehe we’re twins … you should know me [N.B: The “twins” is a coded title between Joe and I]

Joe: This may sound weird but it’s actually the truth. One main thing aside the physical attraction was; she actually came into my life when I was nearly lost. She came into my life and drew me back to God. I realized then in her that she’s a woman I would love to train my future children. I saw that in her through the way she took care of me.

Me: Awww I’m very happy for you Joe. You know.

Joe: IKR. Awww thanks a lot twinny😘

Q10. Have you buried your writing lifestyle?

Joe: Not entirely but I don’t write like I used to. So much to do now, but I write once in a while.

Me: Joe, thanks for accepting to be my 1st guest. We’ve come to the end of our conversation. Any last words?

Joe: Life is a climb but the view is always great. Make use of every opportunity given. And remember that if you want to grow you have to be intentional about it. Thanks so much for having me here. It’s a privilege and I’m grateful.

Me: You’re very welcome 

I hope you enjoyed this convo. Catch you same time next week. Happy new month.