BBC TV presenter Komla Dumor has died suddenly at his home in London at the age
of 41.Ghana-born Dumor was a presenter for BBC World News and its Focus on Africa programme.
One of Ghana's best-known journalists, he joined the BBC as a radio broadcaster in 2007
after a decade of journalism in Ghana BBC Global News Director Peter Horrocks
called Dumor a leading light of African journalism who would be deeply missed.
"Komla's many friends and colleagues across Africa and the world will be as devastated aswe are by this shocking news," Mr Horrocks said in a statement.
Check out what Komla posted on his page recently: Its shocking and hair rising....
''God has been v good to me.,last year I experienced a lot of illness ..my BP nearly gave me a stroke but I trod on..waking up at 2am and heading to work..exhausted sometimes..aching in my body a soul..mentally and emotionally drained ..but I kept going ..I smiled for the camera..I volunteered for extra shifts .
.I showed respect to my colleagues from directors to the security guards..I took a lot of jealousy driven vicious insults and backstabbing from petty people without reply..I remain silent in my personal strife and misery..I kept smiling and pushing on to present better and to engage w my audience and increase my following.,long days and frustrating times..but I kept going..through the west gate mall coverage through the Mandela funeral..even when illness had me collapsing I delivered.....
today my boss the head of television called me for a 1 minute meeting..he said Komla we have decided to make you the anchor presenter for our coverage of the World Cup in Brazil ..we shook hands and I left..I looked to the sky and said thank you Lord for reminding me that you are on my side ..the enemy will be scattered..Selah!Selah!
Praise Him..tomorrow is another day''
*OMG......something not nice went down at his job,now everyone even those whom he referred to are sending in messages of deep loss.
RIP Komla.
It's only when one is dead that critics suddenly become best friends cos their overwhelmed with guilt knowing fully well they're equally murderers.
ReplyDeleteMay his precious soul RIP.
It's a strange world we live in.
Girl...I like you.... You look like a perfect example of beauty and Brain
DeleteRest in perfect peace Komla «««MON AMI»»»
DeleteMamie you and Stella should shut up....people quarrel everyday and am sure none of them was praying for him to die......death is a shocker to even the most hard heart......the fact that you have beef with someone doesn't mean you don't know they have good sides....we all do so if they express their grief am sure it's mostly out of genuine sadness.....
DeletePainful...God knows best
ReplyDeleteRIP Komla,i felt really sad when i heard the news yesterday, one of the best brains in television, i really will miss him.
ReplyDeleteDs is sooo touching...rip
ReplyDeleteRIP Komla! How do I describe this? Was a negligence to his health that triggered this early ans sudden death or was it the pain of being mobbed in his work place? What could be the problem? To think he wrote such before his death is quite disheartening.
ReplyDeleteThey said he died of a cardiac arrest. I think the stress and pressure at work contributed highly to the rise in his BP which then contributed to the cardiac arrest.
Delete@Anonymous 10:31Am, thanks dearie for the info, quite understandable now that stress the major cause. I can imagine the pressure involved with his kind of job, no sleep, no rest humm! I no fit abeg.
DeleteRIP komla...Heaven is a better place
ReplyDeleteYea...may his soul RIP
DeleteNot that he is dead somebody else would take over that job,seek attention for your health ist,life ist,if your health won't allow u then listein to ur body,take ur rest evn car dey break down wen over used talkless humanbeing,ha this is so sad I rily felt this may his soul rest in peace
ReplyDeleteOf cos, someone else has taken over d job, your health and safety should b your priority if yu want good results. You can imagine just at d peak of his career, everything crashes.
DeleteRip Sir, yu were one of my dad's favourite.
God rest his soul. Too many young deaths this January. Lost a dear friend recently; still can't believe she's gone. I was meant to get in touch but kept postponing it.
ReplyDeleteI've learnt that sometimes there are no warnings; when it's time, it's time. Learn to reach out to loved ones and people in need in spite of of your own troubles. You'll never know if it's the last time.
Same happened to me. Very dear friend she was shot by armed robbers on new year eve.i wanted to get in touch too and kept on postponing. She called me on christmas and said we will hook up on Wednesday January 2nd.i sent her a long message on bbm at 12 midnight January 1 telling her I love her and I am sorry I dont stay in touch or pick her calls. She didnt get to read d msg as she was killed 9pm onv31st december.she said we will hook up on Wednesday I hooked up with her dead body as she was buried on that Wednesday.
DeleteI know better now and will try to show my friends and family I love them every day as long as I still have them because we never know.sigh
Awww kemi, ur story just gave me the chills of life n goosebumps, oh my God.. sorry for ur loss girl, may Her soul RIP n may God give u all the fortitude to bear d loss.. sorry :(
DeleteHe neglected his health...why not take a break from work..even if one is sacked better days ahead..dis high blood pressure is really dangerous..when not managed or treated carefully, it kills..please be aware..May his soul rest in peace..
ReplyDeleteBBC pushed him too much to the WALL. He was over stressed and over USED and not even Appreciated. Nice Guy, REST IN PEACE.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that always the case? You've said it all. "Over used and not appreciated" Its pretty clear he was having issues at work. I am deeply saddened. He was brilliant! May he rest in peace and may God be with his family...Aghhhh!!! I always looked forward to seeing him on TV.
DeleteAwww, he probably needed to slow down and look after himself, RIP
ReplyDeleteI still watched this man on BBC 2 days ago.... This is so sad. RIP.
ReplyDeleteOluyomi Odukoya
OH MY GOD!!!….So this journalist is gone just like that???? Ah life! Never knew he was going through all that! R.I.P
ReplyDeleteOH MY GOD!!!…So this journalist is gone just like that??? Never knew he was going through all that, R.I.P
ReplyDeleteWho knew he was going through such?
ReplyDeleteHis pains are visibly written in his write up.
This life sef.
Story of professional life I the diaspora. Whilst `they` are experts at fag breaks, coffee breaks, throwing sickies for themselves, their pets etc. U r expected to soldier on, compensating for their gross incompetencies. Yet all u get is insorbordination and animosity neatly concealed / not obvious for even u to see. When ur body begins to warn u, u become more resolute and determined, promising to show them u can do better. What u don't know is that many have come and gone b4 u and they are only down to when u will give up and bow out. Adieu, Mr Komla. My bros & sisters, protect ur health and ur life because the work house doesn't really give two fucks about u.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more!!!
DeleteSo true, it's not even funny at all. I know just what you mean, and have had to learn to play 'their' game. The pressure got so bad, I was 26 and having panic attacks.
DeleteMay he rest in peace. Amen.
ReplyDeleteStella, this is the standard in a high powered organisation. The BBC is like a cartel and it is funded by the tax payers. For Blacks or Asians to get in there is water tight. Then when they get in there they have to rise above the Caucasians just because of their colour. It's sad that he just couldn't take a break and go off sick. Bear in mind that if he had gone off sick he'd be paid for 6 full months. Then again what happens after he goes back to work? He may be re-deployed to a lesser role and may be a marked man. His Caucasian colleagues can go the pub one night, call in sick the next day and get away with it. Minority groups will struggle to do that. The BBC is just as institutionally racist as the Met.
There's a brilliant radio presenter on BBC Radio 5 called Dotun Adebayo. He's very eloquent, sharp and with the accent even though sometimes he jokes with his forced Nigerian accent. Do you know when he comes on? 2 am to 5 am. I've said it so many times he needs to be heard during normal hours because he's so brilliant. Same old, same old. By tomorrow they'll redeploy a new person to take over Komla's job. These companies don't care. They are back stabbers, will praise you in person and kill you behind your back. Employees just make up the stats.
u are right in all aspect @fanstuff ,they pushed him to the extreme end with over shifts and the the saddest thing is i have been watching bbc world news since morning there is no news about his death,so sad!
DeleteVery true...
DeleteI did observe that they put the black newscasters on night duty .
They smile that their fake smile and kill you behind your back.
Worked in Britain it's such a racist society! Americans on the other hand address it and talk about it and people will do racist stuff but they get exposed. In Britain its so subtle you can't easily pin it, like the person said above making other minorities work odd hours, if its America there would be open complaints. Anyway I blame Africa
DeleteRest in peace Komla. A lot of young people have extreme high blood pressure without knowing. I went for my routine medical check up some years back and I was amazed when my doctor told me my BP was terribly high, I was shocked because I had no symptoms! That is why it is called the silent killer. Please check your BP regularly and for precautions against stroke take a mild dose of aspirin daily better yet have regular medical check ups. May almighty God bless and grant us long happy life span. Amen!
ReplyDeleteAhh. No be sey u talk oh. Just some days ago, my boss who is a doctor just said, "oya come let me check ur bp", using her ECG(I think?) Only for my bp to be 149/80. Ahh! Na im she sey wetin? I wsnt feeling anyhow. But I noticed that one of my neighbour's overused gen kips me awake almost all night. Then early in the morning, we know how lagos rush can be. She advised I start doing exercise every morning b4 I come to work and now I jog some km in my estate and lo and behold, I found out that I am better. So at tyms we can substitute some stress by exercising, at least the one we can do to help ourselves. This life no get duplicate.
DeleteRIP sir
ReplyDeleteRIP.
ReplyDeleteRIP.
ReplyDeleteRIP.
ReplyDeleteO my dear Komla your smile and charm hid your personal struggles. Rest in peace now. I will miss your infectious smile on my TV.
ReplyDelete"I showed respect to my colleagues from directors to the security guards..I took a lot of jealousy driven vicious insults and backstabbing from petty people without reply..I remain silent in my personal strife
ReplyDeleteand misery.." OMG
This man has endured soo much! PEOPLE 'is' BAD. Damnnn
WE are OUR OWN PROBLEM
#doctorbobby
My sis in law who worked for BBC was frustrated and she had to leave :so sad that people go thru such hardship daily GOD pls be with his young family
ReplyDelete@fanstuff...well said..worked for a Hedge Fund once...and almost lost my mind...always had panic attacks which was alien to me until then..also considering I had to travel from outside london into work...once we lost our finance director at 37!!...never ill always first in and last to leave...did some minute silence thingy and worked carried on as usual...I was so happy to get out of there if not it would have been fatal..
ReplyDeleteThey wouldn't announce his death online would they!!...and def not the Fb post which would make them seem culpable...sure you aware of how many people have lost their lives in Investment banking and other pressurised jobs ??...so glad now contracting out my services now...I decide under what terms and conditions I'm willing to work and not just looking at the £££ signs...R.I.P
This should server as a lesson to all Professionals..listen to your body and always ask God...If I'm doing the right thing
Is dis my sis KD?
DeleteRIP Mr Dumor....this is so so sad, but God knows best......
ReplyDeleteLife these days is something else, you are in the midst of thorns and can only win with God. The pressure to deliver and the horrible politics does nobody any good. Be nice to somebody today!
ReplyDeleteTrue talk @ Anon 4:38. The finanical industry in Nigeria is just as dangerous. Not just the banking sector but the insurance and stock exchange sectors too. There've been several reports of bankers slumping and giving up while on the job.
ReplyDeleteI work in an insurance firm and I started out as a marketer. I wasn't academically qualified for the job but in d typical 9ja setting, any discipline wud do. Insurance in Nigeria is HARD, especially wen it's outside Lagos, Port Harcout and Abuja. My target was in millions in a developing state where everybody believes that "Jesus is my Insurance", "Blood of Jesus is the supreme security". Needless to say that I was 26 wen I started having bp issues, and was expected to meet targets afta taking drugs dat were meant to lull me to sleep. But God in His way had mercy and I was redeployed and given a desk job.
The corporate world is cutthroat and full of sharks. The minute u drop dead, someone else fills d vaccum.
Look at Sky..ITV..BBC...its all ethnic people doing the graveyard shift..the covet racism here..at least in 9ja..they let you know straight up na pally pally things..in UK you work so damn hard and they still underestimate you. .hence the added stress and pressure to succeed against all the nepotism..
ReplyDeleteI happy say God take me away from that country, racism is so bad there though not comparable to other parts of Europe where they are so evil
DeleteWell if you work in a highly pressurisedjob you hahave to find a way out. Its not about UK. It happens everywhere. I nearly died on my banking job in naija. I left and now. have a very good job at a well known multinational in the UK. Everyone has and is entitled to breaks. I get more respect from bosses and colleagues here compared to naija. Dont care wat anyone may say behind me. Gossip is normal. 5 years now absolutely no regrets. Having said that RIP to this very llovely presenter
ReplyDeleteDon't blame the job. Komla was over ambitious. He didn't need to say yes to extra shifts etc. He wanted to reach the top no matter what and now he has gone. He should've dedicated more time to the people that mattered in his life, namely his children and family. RIP
ReplyDelete