Ghanaian broadcast journalist, Nana Yaa Brefo, has shared how her love for journalism led her to live in a single room in Accra.
The Media General journalist explained that she had to relocate from Koforidua to Accra for her studies.
As a student at the University of Media Arts and Communications (UniMac), now known as GIJ, Nana Yaa had to live with a friend in a family’s single room.
“Yeah, I relocated from Koforidua to Accra because I had enrolled in GIJ. There was this schoolmate of mine when I was in Koforidua, so I had to stay with her in a single room in a family house. During my stay, the house got burnt, and I had to move out.”
Nana Yaa Brefo
Nana Yaa Brefo added that her career in journalism began when she worked as an intern at Peace FM, stating that she was a producer.
“Those days in GIJ, we did an internship for a year and six months. During that period, I went to do my attachment at Peace FM, TV3, and The Statesman. So after that, I went back to do my National Service at Peace; it was there Father asked me to stay at start working as a producer.”
“When I was a producer, I used to produce Kwame Sefa Kayi, Afia Konadu, and the top journalists at Peace. I wasn’t going on air because I was good as an editor. I was, however, asked to give a live report one time, but because I was fumbling, I hung up while on air.”
Nana Yaa Brefo
Recounting how she became a presenter at Multimedia, she said, “I went to Multimedia as a producer but had a little bit of acting those days in Takoradi, so one of my bosses asked me to read the Twi news.”
According to her, she didn’t know much about how to read the news but had to learn from a colleague. “That was how everything started,” she added.
Nana Yaa Brefo on Why She Left Angel FM
The Ghanaian broadcast journalist shared her reason for leaving her former workplace, Angel FM.
The Media General journalist explained that during her time at Angel FM, she didn’t get programs to host, which left her idle most of the time. “This work of ours, if you don’t get something to do, you end up losing value,” she said.
According to her, she didn’t know what she was doing when the Angel FM broadcaster, Okatakyie came to the scene.
“So when Okatakyie came into the picture, I didn’t know what I was doing. I wanted to know my role and have my space, but it wasn’t coming. It got to a point where I had to stay home for months without working.
“They even decided to put me on the evening shift, but we all know I am famous for hosting morning shows and not evenings, so I wasn’t giving in to that idea.”
Nana Yaa Brefo
When asked if she has any unsettled dispute with broadcast journalist Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah, Nana Yaa Brefo insisted that there is no conflict between them.
“No, I don’t have any personal problem with him. He called me sometime after I posted Kweku Oteng on his birthday. You know some people started asking questions about why I had posted him after leaving his work.
“So I had to explain the reason why I left, that Okatakyie didn’t want me to work there. So when he called me, we had to settle the dispute.”
Nana Yaa Brefo
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