Top dignitaries expected today in Lagos for PANASA’s twin event

More top scrabble dignitaries, sponsors, partners, supporters, officials and stakeholders are due in Lagos today, Wednesday, August, 23 ahead of the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA) Championships, the PANASA President’s Cup (PPC) and the African Youth Scrabble Championship (AYSC) holding simultaneously in Africa’s fifth largest economic city.
One of the Super heavyweight dignitaries storming Lagos from Accra, the Ghanaian capital aboard Air Peace for the competitions is Samuel Mbrayeh Quartey, known in the scrabble fraternity and construction and building industry as S.M.Quartey.
Quartey is wearing multiple caps as regard the PANASA President’s Cup (PPC); the second prize and trophy is named after him. The Ghanaian is both an individual sponsor and a corporate partner of the elite event through his firm Atelier Gh and on a personal level as S.M.Quartey.
Samuel Mbrayeh Quartey completed Post Graduate Diploma in Architecture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology of Ghana and served as a teaching assistant before joining Rhaycad, an Architectural firm in Accra for 3 years.
At Rhaycad, S.M.Quartey was exposed to the use of computer in Architecture and worked on projects such as the Chamber of Parliament, Kakum National Park and Latter Day Saints Temple.
Quartey joined Deweger Gruter Brown and Partners in 1997, worked for another 5years on projects such as Standard Chartered Bank, Ring Road and Spintex, Dansoman and Sunyani, Apex Bank Head Office and Palm Court all in Ghana.
He started his own private practice with a registered company known as Atelier in 2003. Atelier which is a playable scrabble word is credited with outstanding projects such as the CAL Bank Head Office, National Communication Authority Head Office (NCA), Allied Oil Head Office, UNA Home, KEK Insurance Head Office, The Elizabeth building and to mention but a few.
The very passionate Scrabble stakeholder also served as Honourary Secretary of the Ghana Institute of Architects in 2004 and later the president of the Ghana Institute of Architects.
Another scrabble stakeholder who is due in Lagos today, is the President of Scrabble Association of Ghana (SAG), Haruna Adamu who was recently elected as an executive member of World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPA).
Also expected in Lagos Wednesday, is the man with impeccable scrabble credentials fondly called the Jagaban of the game of words, Engineer Toke Aka, the President of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) who led PANASA for 12 solid years and gave it oxygen and fertilizer to breath, grow and stabilize.
The consummate administrator and scrabble encyclopedia who was recently re-elected as an executive member of World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPA) in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA will be landing in Lagos along with the very sound, articulate and equally dynamic Technical Director of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) John Curtis.
On Tuesday, ‘Team Kenya’ and Uganda arrived for the two championships on the wings of Kenya Airways with the governor of the largest County Province in Kenya, Turkana County Province, Honourable Jeremiah Ekamais Lomorukai Napotikan in the entourage as a special guest of PANASA.
The governor on arrival paid a courtesy visit to the Oba Oniru of Iruland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal, Abisogun II and he also visited a frontline Pan African educationist, Dr. Mrs. Winifred Awosika, the founder of the famous and prestigious Chrisland Schools.
Honourable Jeremiah Ekamais Lomorukai Napotikan, said ‘Team Kenya’ is in Nigeria to capture the top honours at the President’s Cup (PPC) and the African Youth Scrabble Championship (AYSC).
“This is my first time in Nigeria, I have been yearning to be in Nigeria and now, I’m here. The most important thing is coming and interacting with our colleagues in Nigeria and make good friends, this is a country we love. We are here to win.” The governor said.
Players from countries such as Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, The Gambia, Uganda, United States of America, Zambia and host Nigeria will feature at the four-day events.
The Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA) President’s Cup (PPC) and the African Youth Scrabble Championship (AYSC) holding between the 24th and 28th of this month have enjoyed huge corporate and individual backing.