 I know you're born here and after spending your whole life in Accra you decided to come back here. Why would you do that? Because this is the time to enjoy your life. But for me, I believe in giving back to your roots. Giving back to your roots has been my dream, right? Because if you don't give back, these villages are sort of cut off. Here, there was no light, there was no road, there was no water, there was no hospital, no police station. So they were living visually, like animals, visually. Because if you are sick, you die. My coming here is to give back society, especially my roots, where I was born. This is one of the most difficult interviews we've ever had. Because the man that we are interviewing today is a man that he's not a fan of showing off. He's not a fan of letting the world know what he has. But you know, when what am I is here, I have to make sure that he speaks to me. You know what I'm doing? It's just more of trying to let his story inspire. Because I know there are so many people who are living life just like him. But I think he needs to be celebrated. You don't think you need to be celebrated? No, no. When I was in the school, I brought in volunteers from Canada, from America, from Germany, young graduates, you know. They also asked me the same questions. They asked me, are you sure you're from this village? Or you want to join them? The way you talk, the way you behave, it doesn't seem that we are from this village. I'm from this village. I'm not joining them. I've been a chief of Boneyama, you know. So, from that time on, I built a school for them. I built a computer lab for them. They have internet through other books with Yes Auntie. And I gave them light poles. From the beginning, that's probably 30 years ago, I bought a light pole. They put the light poles on to see the government and the government brought the wires. So, when I built this house, I built a school for them. So, when I was here, I was like a headmaster here. The teachers have to come to school early, because I'm watching you from here. The children know that I was watching them when I was here. That's how your house is opposite the school. Which year did you build this? About 15 years ago. 15? No, 15. Wifi. 15 years ago, yes. I built a school. I did the... Actually, the computer lab was last two years. You converted a portion to the... You have computers in there. You have the Wi-Fi. So, they can access. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. So, if they were serious, right? Yeah. They have a very nice facility. Can compete with anyone? Even the religious people have come here. A friend of mine built a statue last year. I gave him the design. Like, do it this way. Last year, he put it up here. The statue? Yeah. So, I don't know. We can't go in now because... Yeah, let's go on vacation. This is the computer lab. So, that's it. Since education is so important to you. Yes, sure. That's part of my legacy. But that legacy means to you? That is very important because we need a footprint. Footprint, yeah. Because by all means, you are not mortal. You will die. Yes, actually, it's yesterday. And the number of years you will live on this earth doesn't matter. But what will you do? There is a portion that we are going to use as a continuation of the school. The primary school and the preschool are coming. So, you are going to take it from that side to this side? To this side. So, that will become like a class of schools, right? Now, there is water here. I take the water for them. Boho. So, I put the tank so that everybody now can get the water to his or her home now. And this is the boho that is serving the whole community. This one, this very one. I think there is a water table under. They never get short of water. So, this is also a boho that I built for them. And I provided them with a tank. This is a tank. So, there is a machine. It pumps the water up and up. And then it is going to everybody who needs the water. During the dry season, you have to go searching for water. At that time, when I was here, you know, you could have asked just to scoop the water. But this one, at least, water is no more scarce any more here. So, that's that. This school. This school. I wanted to do something like a small breakdown for them. To get the rides more right here. So, I go to, I can have more. I can get some, you know, to come. Just for them to be happy. Going to school, you know. I mean, you can really have fun. So, there is nothing here. So, how to motivate a small girl or a small boy to learn. You go home. But if you get those breakdowns for them a bit, you know. So, that is one of my dreams. That I will get something small for them. I think, can I get that for you? Why not? Let me get that for you. I want to do that. Oh, good, good, good. I want to do that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure, sure, sure. I'll do that for you. Oh, definitely. Thank you very much. I'll do that for you. Thank you. So, which is I'll be back here again. Oh, definitely. Fantastic. That's your hometown. Yeah. See, I get worried. When I see the ones around. That's what I put this into. Put this. Put a gate down there. Okay. And get a small playground for them. That will attract them to be in the school. And I did the committee center. I'll roof it tomorrow. You can see it. And then I gave my first building. That happened when I was 24 years and back in time. 24, 26 years around that time. It was a very nice building. But I gave it out to the teachers. Our teachers' bungalow. Is that the first house you ever built? It's my first building in the village. When I was 26 years or so. Even when we went to Accra, you still came back when we were 26 to build here. It's like you love this place with all your heart. Yeah, sure. That's how I was born. I can't decide this place. I'm inspired. During the difficult times, I was supposed to come here. The whole place was forest. The whole area. Even all these places were forest. Monkeys here. All. I came here first. I don't know who inspired me. My friend of mine is here. How do you see that at all? The man who bought it is here alive. I can call him for you tomorrow. It's okay. I've seen that this building is collapsing. Because they were surrounded with sheep and goats at that time. The school. The school, yeah. Only one school. One small school. We're right here. It's okay. So, why can't I buy two pack of bio sheets to roof it for them? Because it was leaking all over. As a worker, I don't know what came over me. As a salary worker, I'm part of my salary to buy two pack of bio sheets for them. Let me see. He's sitting down there. Hello. How are you? How are you? Oh, that's the friend you're taking about. Yeah. How are you? How are you? How are you? How are you? How are you? How are you? How are you? How are you? I'm fine. So, how are you? I've seen about a few bags of bio sheets for the entire school. For the whole school? Yes, 24, 25 years. I've had it before. The entire school. Bio sheets. I've seen it before. The school, yeah. And it's good that you still touch all these people? No, no, no. That's my friend. They're not my friends. My friend. This is my friend here. So this is my first house, this one. But when I come to my car, there's no place for me to lay my head. As a poor guy, I was telling you. So I said, OK, why not? Once I'm working, I should be able to do something together. So at least when I come, I can get a place to lay my head. So this is my first burden. At that time, things were very, very scarce in Ghana. No, nothing, nothing. See, the liver braids are wood. Not a glass, but I couldn't even get a glass of that. So I bought the liver braids. But most of the time, it's from... It's a touch house, this one. So this one, I give it out to the teachers. The village teachers. So they are living here. No rents. At the age of 25. 25 years. Built your first house. This is on in life. I built... I'm growing a bit now. I've got a few cities around. So let me put up a better house. So I built this one. The one down there? This very one, yes. Then my father's house, recently, I also put it in good order to give it to the teachers. This is where I was sleeping. This is for my father. This is a two-bed room and a whole house. That's our apartment. So one bedroom here, and that bedroom is there. And the common hall there. So my father gave this one to me and gave the other one to my senior brother. This single room, I went to build my... The same man house over there. So from here, this is where... I see this is where my manhood began. I mean, some people are seeing this. It looks a bit luxury for now, but I think in the olden days, it didn't look like this. No, no, no, I mean towards a man house. Yes. I... Last year, last year before, I took out the roof and did the ceiling and put a door here and painted it. It's an apartment house. A man house, pure man house. There was no block work here. Not even a single block work here. And you don't even see cemented... All was like this. This one. Almost every house. About 100% of the houses here was like this. No, no, no cement. No cement. 100%. So you just build, you know, no ceiling, you know, but I think there was a... There was a screen on the floor. Yeah, yeah. That's it. So... That's how I started. These were the rich people in town. These were the rich people. This man was a rich man. So the best one was like this. So all the buildings during that time was like this. The best was like this. Yes. So my father's house was like this. The family house was like this. And then I built the clinic recently. Hmm. Yeah. For the clinic. With a theater. With Esri. It's a dress ward. May ward. Treatment room. Lab. It is there right now, you know. So I did that one too. So what comes to go now for the clinic? A facility being put up by Kata Pako Company Limited. Okay. Being put up as in... As in all the builds and then furnished by Kata Pako. You mean everything here? Everything you see around is from Kata Pako Company Limited. Not from the government? No. And the latest one that I did was the police station. You know. So there's something we call life sustainability. Hmm. What can sustain life? You know. One. Hardware communication. You see that there's internet here right? Yeah. Yeah. It's true me that I break the small internet. The small one. They call it a royal setup. The short one. Yeah. So recently I went to do my network. And the big one. The long one. The MTM pool. I mean came operation up at the most. Two when I came here. When I came to my last camp. Yeah. About one and a half years ago. And they also put the signal. So when you go in my house. You can get very good MTM. Very good MTM. Very very good. And you can get the data. Everything is in my house now. Because it's true me that. They brought this here. So you wanted to get this transformer. I didn't do it myself. Through my contacts. You were able to get them. Through my contacts. Just like the MTM. MTM. I didn't build it. Yeah. At this point. If you want to pay me on it. Yeah. Through my contacts. That's why they came to build this one. So this one. The old one. Was only for this village. Village. But this one is going to the other communities. Yeah. Okay. Wow. Very soon this place will be a tourist site. Yeah. Where people will come and see. Where Dr. Copenhagen grew up. You don't think it's going to happen soon? No. I've done my. I've done a human job for the village. And when I build the. When I build the. The clinic. Yeah. My other sister. I learned. Died. When he was giving birth. My other sister. I didn't. I didn't say. So. At least at the point I said. I don't want anybody to. So to go through that pain. That's why I built a clinic. I put ambulance. There. You know. So that those are around this area. Around that there's. Communication. Right. Like if you are sick. Just call the hot line. You know. And they'll come and take you. Take the ambulance. Bring you here. You know. But I believe the government should also assist. You know. To make the road. You know. Passable. They are not assisting. For now. No. For now. No. That is my dream. You know. So that those. Around this area. You know. They can use the ambulance. Right. So I've. Been to. The government. But they are not. For now. You know. Listening. You know. You know. It keeps you in the post. But. My dream. Was to make that place very very vibrant. I even reserved. Some room. Not this place. My old house. I'm talking to some American. Doctors. Doctors with our borders. Yeah. So that they can come here. To assist. Hey. Go fast. Get the sign. Hello. Yeah. Mahoye. Mahoye. Mahoye. Mahoye. I want the place to be a very nice. Very busy. Village. You know. In the center of the village. That's why. Right now. The whole. I mean. Fee in the streets. I want it. I'm in the central. Yeah. I'm in the central. I'm in the central. The only polyclinic is. The one at. And I build it. If I say. I. Know. Coverage. By the way through. So. So. The toilet facility. With. Flashing. Facility. Facility. We are even yet to commission it. Probably commission it this week. You know. Where for the first time. Everybody who comes here. We'll go at half. That's where you can flash. And then. We have done. Bow gas. Yeah. So that. The bow gas. We're trying to see. We can use even the gas. To do something. Later on. So that's how it is. This is used to be the toilet. That the villagers use. And. They still use it. It's not like they're not using it anymore. They still use it. And decided to transform. What you seeing right now. To. What is over there. I'm very busy. You don't think. A man like this need to be celebrated. I have been there before. I mean. This study. He's talking about. It's not like we're making it up. But. I've lived a life like this before. Where you just go. Squat. Do your thing. I see. You don't even have zero paper. You use the. Bushes. Scrub your. And then you go back home. This is a cemetery. A police cemetery. So that is my media challenges. But. The serious one is the. The police quarters. Especially. No. The nurses quarters. How do you come to go. How do you come to go. And. You know. They touch houses. The most of that from Takarade. If you. If you travel from Takarade to this place. And. They come. All right. But. They come. And they cannot get accommodation. It's not their fault. Not even. They are prepared to stay anywhere. But. They can't have it. We have. Jumped. The gun. We quickly build all this without infrastructure. And I cannot accommodate all of them. So I gave my house. And. Finish it for the medical doctor. The nurses. You have to find your own accommodation. But even the one to rent. 20 cities a month or 50 cities a month. They can't even you can't even get it to rent. Can't get something like this. No. Everybody is a high. High. High. So that's our problem. So I was talking of. This food. Right. Security. Communication. Medicars. Right. And education. You have this sense in your village. You hear in ten more cloth. And I'm here. There's no difference. No difference. Because we have the professional doctor here, a medical doctor, a full medical doctor here from Capra. So if you are sick there, you go and see, go and have a theater here. There's a full-fledged theater here. You can make surgery here. You have an estate department here. So if you have all this in the village, apart from the road, then I don't see why I should be in the cry, especially once that I've retired, I've retired from my business so that I can eat and sleep and with my old age. He told me that he's starting his own poetry. He's going to wear picks. He's going to wear goats and sheep. And I'm like, what about fishes? Because someone like you need fishes. Not knowing he has his fishpond. Let's do this one. You eat what you catch. Let's go. I'm ready. Yes, okay. So we'll go to the next. If you don't catch. You are not eating. You are not eating. This is like catch and eat. See, old age, they call it the golden age. You know, people retire. But if you retire, and you sit down and eat and sleep, we are killing yourself. We are killing your brains. So for me, that's why man is to help the community. So I built a kingdom hall. You can see it here, kingdom hall. So that I believe in God. Whatever you do, for me, that's my belief. I believe that all the stars are passed through. There might be something behind it. And also, I believe that there's life after death. Because the Bible says that at a point, God will raise, move their living and the death. You know, that's why Jesus Christ also raised Lazarus. You know, when you were died for three or four days, right? To show you that what you have done today can be done tomorrow. Because the person who was died for three days, four days, was able to raise him up. So we tell you that when you die, can raise you. Do you doubt it? You've done it before. That's how I believe in you. See, and the Bible too, if you use the Bible to, you know, to guide you, right? You know, it's treating your path. Because you say, don't go and tell somebody's wife. You know, because you can tell somebody's wife. Nobody will see you, right? But God, path for God, just like camera. This is a very written. So if you're true, true, true, full of, or servant of God, you're not going to do that. You know, so that one also guided me a lot, you know, in doing what I'm doing, you know, because I believe that it is God who gives, you know, so if He gives you, also don't give you somebody. It's real to see people who have built an empire going back to live the place that they started and that inspires me a lot because I feel like I'm talking about living in a crowd, living in a crowd, because if you make it, just live in a crowd and go back to your village once or a while, but you live in here with the people. I mean, it's so real to see people like you. Oh, yeah, because you run, run. We don't have that community. You can't come back, can't come down. If you don't have community, that will be humble, right? Yeah, because you have to come to the level of every one. You see, everybody say, hey, hey, right now. So, we don't have to come here with that sort of ego right there. I am ready. Nobody come to you. So, if you are rich and nobody's coming to you, what's the value of your richness? Do you think humility is born with it or you learn it? For me, I would say that I was born with that. To me, I would say that I was born with it. I'm humble from the beginning. And then, you know, as you are becoming successful, right? That's the danger. You don't take, you know, your success goes to your and that's where there is a God, everybody, you know. Success, that doesn't mean that you are the most intelligent person in the world, but for a person that you are successful, doesn't mean that you are the most stupid, you know. So, that's how it is. If you are so successful, you should be able to connect with the people below you. So, that's how it is. There's something that you said that I would love to hear from you again. What about giving? Because I realized that even we just met your friend who you said that he gave you money to buy the roofing sheet. This was the school? The school that you changed the roofing sheet? No, no, no. That was just a man house. So, let's say the government came to build this school, you know, attack the man house that are rude, you know, are rude collapse. Then the government came to do this one. I think this thing, I don't know whether it's about 12 years, 15 years. So, this man has targets that I would like to come and help them. We can replicate it, other, paint it, you know. What inspired you to start a football farm in here? About backwards integration. What integration? Backwards integration, you know. Backwards integration is where you you manufacture or provide your own raw materials for production. You know, I guess I've forgotten like this. You know, you do a gas that CO2, you use it, you do caps, you know. So, you plant the herbs so that you come here to harvest our plant parts instead of going to buy from other sources, right here. So, that's why you do this. It's about almost 10 years ago. How many acres? One around about 200 acres. It's a big land. It's a huge land. What are the kinds of plants that you plant in here? You have about the most 10 pieces of herbs here. You have Prakasi. Prakasi is here. What again? So, the alumus, let's say the source of the albubites products, you know. Because I know that some years back Ghana was well-based in timber plants, right? So, at a point in time, that way it can't get timber again. So, right now the main source of companies income is from the albubites, you know. So, let's see in about 20 years time. What about if the heaps are no more? How do you get the heaps? You may have to go and use organic, you know, organic synthetic materials. A lot of people are using synthetic and pass it off as organic. So, this you've seen from your own house owner that we have our own forest where we're going to harvest our plants to build our albubites. And other herbal plants, herbal products. I feel like a visionary leader now. Well, yes, because with that vision, we get lost. Anyone with that vision, we get lost. So, that's why some people get stuck. You go in the circus, it's called a rat race, right? But these things, for me, I am an old man, right? I'm not doing it for myself. I'm doing it for the generation. As we're from the generation I'm thinking, you don't think for yourself. But what can you do for the future, right? Not for me and myself. I feel like when it comes to a generational world, it really does not exist in this part of the world. I've seen the Lebanese transfer their worth to their next generation. But I don't know how many companies that I can count. The Jews, the Indians are doing a lot. Exactly. So, at the point you have to start somewhere. So, if the Lebanese are not doing it, and you're not doing it, you have to start somewhere. Do you think generational wealth is something that Africans should look into? It's very important. It's very important because you pass on. You say, like a root, you know, you made a path, and then your generation will definitely go through the path, you know. So, for me, as a family head, I'm reading for my family, my immediate family, and also even my SNL family. So, I'm taking good care of my, I'm taking care of my family members' education. Every member, I didn't tell you yesterday, every member from my clan, you know, who called for university education, I sponsored him or her, you know, so that you can get a base of your clan, you know. My children, I'm doing the same thing. My grandchildren, I'm doing the same thing, you know. I set up a fund, my grandchildren. The education I found, yes, all of them have got it, you know, so that when do we reach 18 years that they're going to the university level, right? Whether their father have money or not, their grandparents have already set up the fund for them. That's what the kids are doing. So, if you're a kid and you go to school, already the fund is not a limitation. It's not to your head. And that's what most people don't do, you know. You don't look at yourself. You look for the future. What can you do to the future? I was telling you about the shadow. You know, whatever you do, the shadow will follow you. What are you living on this earth? By all means, to be a term that will be old, you can't walk. To be a term that you live this temporary world. You die, right? But what are you living before you go, before you die? When I came here, we set up about five-year development plan for the village. You know, where we said, okay, we'll do a school, we'll do a police station, we'll do a clinic, right? And a bank is coming here very soon. Yesterday, they were here. You know, a small bank is coming here. So where the cocoa farmers can easily go and deposit their money, you know. Also inspire, I mean, keeping money and not spending this. Because the money with you, the tenses that you can spend it is very easy. But, you know, if you bank at the bank, you know, yes. So that's why I'm helping the village to set up a small bank. Apart from the bank, then there should be a market. If there's a market, then I think our five-year development plan, almost, around we have achieved about 70% of what we set up to do. So a few things. But for me, personally, the most important thing for me is the road. I mean, the road leading to the village and the surrounding villages, the communities. And that's all. Like I said, we have a clinic, a police station, you know, a bank, you know. And the road connectivity. Get good schools, good teachers, you know, so that those who are working here, you know, don't have to send their case to Takra Day or Takwa. You know, when I build the family house for my family, not my children, my new, eh, that's the extended family. I'm the head of the Biana family. I'll show you the old building that I came to inherit. But you said this is a family house? It's a family house. Like you're calling that is a family house? It's a family house, yes. I know, like you're so modest. That's a family castle. Okay, a family house because we had it before. We had it before. We had it before. And when I saw the ceiling, the TNG that they did about 150 years ago, I said, wow, you know, and that inspired me to do something for generation. Yes. I was so inspired by my forefathers, you know. I thought they had a lot of work, but because I came to meet the good ornaments, a lot of good ornaments, a lot, yeah. So I believe the family in general was rich, but along the line, you know, they lost it. So I'm not doing the gold, but at least as for the burden, I'm doing it for them. So that just in case you are from a clan, from a crowd, when you come, you come to your grandfather's house, and if you're unknown, you're okay. I give you a place to sleep. That's why I have so many rooms, you know. How many rooms do you have in there? 25. 25 rooms in total, right here. You know what? Do you have the 25 rooms? No, I don't have the 25 rooms. Why should I put it at 25 rooms? No, I don't need that. It's not a useless thing to do, right, because of the family. See, some people here, let's say a student, I have graduated from a law school. I want to celebrate the person, not my son, right, but from a clan. You know, there's no party for the person, you know. And then the family members will come from various, yeah, so they come and meet here, you know. So that's what I do in that. And this is, I'm not starting it. It's just say, if somebody dies, funeral, they come. When you come, I remember when my mother died, right, we had to sleep in the open on the, on the, on the, on the, on the park. Open. At that time, it was a small village, you know, I would not be able to do such a thing. So, but now, because of that experience, I don't prepare myself for the rainy day. That is why I talk about the roots. Even a blast, they are coming. A blast from the diaspora. They are coming back to their roots. Some of them are coming to the same thing. I don't want to lose my family members, you know, so they are coming. And that's why I'm taking care of them and their education, you know. That's why I talk about generational thinking, not for you alone, but for the future. So, which means that- And then, I did this thing, this from the house. And I don't know what the mission is. Some of my friends said, you're still doing the same thing. One called me. You come to see this, this one here. So, I'm also doing something for my family. They've been inspired. Yes, so, yes. About people that I'm doing the same thing, you know. And I know a certain high government official in this government, who say, I'm still going back to my village. I don't want to mention any names. I'm going back to my village to do the same thing that we are doing. So, you take inspiration from each other. That's it, sure. So, do you believe that it takes a village to raise a child? Definitely. Because you start to say, let it drop. It's a drop of water. It's a small humble beginning, you know, yeah. So, and the whole thing is about discipline. Discipline. You have to discipline yourself. You're talking about being successful, you know. So, if you have the flair for success, you know, and you have to raise it, we are fortunate. You ring there. So, does it mean that anyone can be successful? I believe so. I believe so. It's about the determination. It doesn't matter where you're born. No, no, no, no, no, no. It doesn't matter where you're born. It's about, you see, I think this thing about success, right? If you are poor, or we are born in a very poor environment, it's just like you're being put in a hole, you know, a hole. But if you are determined, you cannot remain the hole forever, you know. You have to come up, struggle to come up. That struggle is what most of us, I know, they both struggle to come up. So, we are born in the hole. We stay in the hole and die in the hole. Your children will also come. They are born in the hole. They die in the hole. Then the children come. Then you go to the right race, you know, right race. You're going round, round, round, round, round, you know. So, you need to struggle to come up, struggle to come up. And that struggle is yourself, not me. Everybody do it the right way. So, nobody can show their hand and bring you up. It's you, it's a mental attitude, right?