Kofi Adomah: Your Harsh Words Make Me Wish Death

Kofi Adomah Nwanwani, the Ghanaian journalist and philanthropist who stands the risk of losing hs eyes due to a musketry firing incident has said when he listens to the harsh words of condemnation laced with mockery from a section of the public, he wishes he had rather died than stay alive to endure the hurt.

“I am hurt and in pains. I can’t see and I am suffering but some of the things I hear people say about me, I tell myself that it would have been better if I had died. If anyone would hurt me this much with such statements, it should not come from my own people”,  Kofi noted amidst tears and a difficult to speak during a family gathering on Thursday March 13, 2025.

The gathering was the very first time Kofi Adomah has made any public comment on the tragic incident that has put his eye sin harm’s way and a solution ye to be found to save his sight.

“We have done over 7 operations. Some of the pellets cannot be removed. They are still in my eyes. The doctors say it would be even more dangerous to try to remove them. But I am in deep pain and can’t see. I am happy all my family elders are here today and I am sure you would look into this matter for me. Because I do not understand what has happened. I am in pains. I cannot understand how such a thing can happen”  Kofi noted and said he would not wish his situation even on an enemy.

The celebrated journalist was on an official assignment at a traditional festival when he was shot in his eyes by someone using a musket. Some say it was an accident, other say it was on purpose.

He explained how it happened:

“All I heard was the sound of the gun fired and after that I did not see anything again and I could not hear anything. Blood was coming out of my eyes, I asked if I was blind, my eyes were hurting like pepper and I was given a wet towel to cover my face before I was sent to the Dormah Hospital. It is a long story but I am trying to explain because this is a family meeting and I have to explain what happened.

“When we got to the Hospital, the pain was intense so I was injected to reduce the pain. When they examined my eyes, they said it was a serious  situation so they should call a specialist by name Dr. Ofori. The doctors started to wash my eyes with water. They said it is called irrigation. They did this until Dr. Ofori arrived and sent me to the eyes center.

“When he arrived, he said his prayer was that the gunpowder would not have penetrated deeper into my eye bays but unfortunately, he said some had gone deeper and he can’t remove those ones but he can remove the ones on the surface. He said we should go for a scan immediately because what he was seeing was serious.

“I asked him why he was saying such scary things to me when he knows I am already in pains. I was determined to go back and cover the festival but the pains were strong.

“The doctors said if even the camera I was holding has been destroyed by the gunshot, then they are worried the extent to which it may have affected my eyes. 

“The pain was very intense and my wife asked for a referral. I was in pains but I still wanted to work so I asked for spectacles to go and continue the work. I was given one and I returned to the palace. I was determined to do my best to help the festival. But when we got there I could not even get down. The pain was unbearable.  I asked to be sent back to my hotel but I could not sleep….