A Priest of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra who recently graduated with a first-class honours in Bachelor of Arts degree in Ga Education says it had been his long time ambition to study the local language to help promote it in Accra.
“I had always thought of doing the Ga Language and Culture to help promote the use of the Ga language in the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, Rev. Fr. Alphonse Bulloro told Newswatchgh.com in an interview on March 29, 2023, the day of his graduation.
Though he hails from Lyssah in the Upper West Region of Ghana, he said “I feel proud doing the Ga Education course because now I can confidently approach Ga phonetically, phonologically morphologically, semantically, and syntactically.”
He said, “I have always believed that for effective missionary work the language of the land of mission should be given priority.”
Sharing with newswatcgh.com how the journey began, he said in 2018, he took the challenge to go to the University of Education, Ajumako Campus to do Ga Education, saying, “I was admitted in the Ga-Dangme Department to do this programme for four years.”
“Initially, I thought the course was just about the communicative aspect of the language. However, there was more to it in the grammatical area,” he added.
According to him, he had to do general linguistics courses like phonetics, phonology, morphology, and syntax before delving onto the Ga language proper. There were aspects of the Ga Culture I also did,” he told newswatchgh.com.
Fr. Bulloro, who is the Youth Chaplain of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, said “since the University of Education is to train teachers, I also did educational courses like curriculum, principles and practice of teaching, education technology, education psychology, counselling in Education to mention but a few.”
According to him, in 2019, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, he had to learn from home as the pandemic delayed the programme a bit.
“In my third year in 2021, the Ga-Language Faculty selected me and two others for interview which was to prepare us for an exchange programme in the University College of Copenhagen, Denmark. Out of over 50 students. I happened to be the first be selected among 12 other students. Two of us were from the Ghanaian Language faculty,” he told newswatcgh.com.
He said in the University of College of Copenhagen, “we had the opportunity to read DIDATICS of conflict resolution, English Language Skills, and Music for young ones.”
“In Copenhagen, I feel happy to have read the works of Jacobson Christein Proten who was half Danish and half Ga, and the one believed to have designed the first Ga language sounds for missionary work,” he said.
According to him, he would wish to go deeper into this areas in future and use the Ga language in the study of scripture. Mother tongue exegesis is an area I believe the Catholic Church of Ghana must explore and encourage.
He acknowledge all who have encouraged him along this long journey, commending the Most Rev. Charles Palmer-Buckle, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast and former Archbishop of Accra “with his love for languages started this programme with me to promote the Ga language. I thank him a lot for his fatherly support.”
He also thanked the Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, CSSp, Archbishop of Accra for seeing the importance of promoting the Ga language in Accra and also encouraging him.
He acknowledge the inspiration of Mgsr. Jonathan Ankrah and Msgrs. John Kobina Louis and Anthony Narh Asare, Auxiliary Bishops-Elect of Accra for their contribution leading to the success of his project work.
“I also thank my Accra Archdiocesan Priests Association brothers for their encouragement especially brother priests from Teshie, Frs. Francis Asagba, John Amoah, Donkor Baine, Christopher Sackey, Michael K. Mensah, Joseph Arthur, Ebenezer Akesseh, Clement Wilson, Neuman Tettehfio, Peter Hesse, Anthony Adu Mensah, Ebenezer Hanson, Osmund Kudoloh, Patrick Quarcopoome, Januarius Akpabli and the Unique brothers.”
“I acknowledge the guidance of Prof. Philip Laryea, Dr. Cecilia Kotey, Dr. Yvonne Ollenu, Miss Ruby Otoo and Mr. Adams Lantei. To the St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church, I am highly indebted.
He also acknowledged the role played by his family members in this success story.
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Fr. Alphonse Bulloro originally is from Lyssah in the Upper West Region yet was born on 1st August, 1984 at Teshie North Clinic by Mr. Hypolite Bulloro (deceased) and Mrs. Camilla. He is the last of born of his parents.
He had his basic education at Teshie Camp ‘2’ Primary and Junior Secondary School. He proceeded to then Pope John Secondary School and Minor Seminary. He continued to St. Teresa’s Minor Seminary for his Post Senior High School education.
He gained admission to St. Paul’s Major Seminary to do Spirituality and Philosophy (2005-2007). He was in St. Peter’s Regional Seminary, Pedu for his theological studies (2007-2014).
Rev. Fr. Alphonse Bulloro holds B.A. degree in Religion and Sociology from the University of Ghana, Legon (2012) and B.A. Degree from Urbaniana University in Rome (2014).
He is currently the Youth Chaplain of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra and the priest in charge of the St. Raphael, the Archangel, Lashibi.
