Benjamin Bortier Ninepence: The Odyssey of a Great Soul
The Volta region’s golden sun had barely crested the horizon on January 9, 1950, when destiny came calling in the most extraordinary fashion. In the quiet town of Kadjebi, amidst the rhythmic bustle of gold traders preparing for their daily work, Lucy Fofo Kotey felt the first stirrings of new life. What should have been a routine business trip with her mother-in-law, the venerable Emelia Naa Mukwe Princess Tawiah, transformed into a sacred moment in history as they sought refuge in the home of Mr. Archer, the distinguished head of the Cocoa Marketing Corporation.
As dawn’s light filtered through the curtains, a child’s first cry echoed through the house—a sound that would herald the arrival of an extraordinary soul. The women present that morning could never have imagined that this serendipitous birth in a stranger’s home would produce a man whose life would touch continents and transform countless lives. From that moment, Benjamin Bortier Ninepence carried the affectionate nickname "Archer"—a constant reminder of his unconventional entry into the world and the remarkable journey that awaited him.
Benjamin’s cradle was rocked by the strong, loving hands of Joseph Bortey Ninepence, Vice Chairman of the Goldsmith Association of Ghana, and Lucy Fofo Kotey, a woman of both noble heritage and formidable business acumen. The scent of precious metals and the cadence of market negotiations formed the backdrop of his childhood, but it was the quiet moments—his father’s patient explanations of financial principles, his mother’s stories of their royal ancestors—that truly shaped his character.
The Ninepence household was a tapestry of tradition and ambition, where Kente cloth met ledger books, where ancient wisdom walked hand-in-hand with modern aspirations. Young Benjamin absorbed these dual legacies like the rich Ghanaian soil absorbs the first rains—deeply and with boundless potential for growth. Even as a child playing in the red earth of Nungua, there was an unmistakable spark in his eyes, a quiet intensity that hinted at the extraordinary mind within.
At Zimmerman Presby Primary School, Benjamin’s brilliance shone like the gold his family traded. Teachers would pause in their lessons, struck by the depth of his questions. Classmates gathered around him like planets orbiting a sun, drawn by his natural leadership and the effortless way he made complex concepts accessible to all. When he represented his school in the British Council Junior Quiz, the nation took notice—here was no ordinary student, but a young scholar who could hold his own against the best minds in the country.
Ghanata Senior High School became the next arena for Benjamin’s intellectual conquests. The mathematics classroom was his kingdom, where equations bowed before his insight and complex problems unraveled at his touch. His victory in the regional math quiz was less a surprise than an inevitability—the natural culmination of a mind that saw patterns where others saw chaos, solutions where others saw dead ends.
The halls of the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) had never seen a student quite like Benjamin. While others struggled to balance coursework and personal life, he thrived, adding Level 1 ACCA (The Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, Great Britain) certification to his growing list of achievements while still finding time to mentor younger students. His brief tenure teaching at Preseco Commercial School left an indelible mark—former students still speak with reverence of "Mr. Ninepence’s" ability to make dry accounting principles come alive with passion and relevance.
His graduation was both an ending and a beginning—the closing of one chapter of learning and the opening of another of professional mastery. When the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development welcomed him as an Auditor Trainee in 1989, they little knew they were gaining not just an employee, but a future pillar of their institution.
Benjamin’s rise through the auditing ranks was the stuff of office legend. From Trainee to Supervising Auditor, each promotion came not through politics or posturing, but through the quiet, relentless excellence that was his hallmark. Colleagues speak of his cubicle as a place of refuge—where complex problems found solutions, where stressed coworkers found calm reassurance, where every interaction left people feeling better than before.
Yet his expertise was not confined to government auditing. Recognizing his keen financial acumen, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority sought his talents, where he played a crucial role in ensuring fiscal accountability for one of America’s most vital transportation arteries. His meticulous audits safeguarded millions in public funds, ensuring that every toll collected served its purpose in maintaining the highways that connected communities.
His professional toolkit contained more than just technical skills—it held the rare ability to see the human story behind every spreadsheet, to balance uncompromising standards with genuine compassion. The "Ninepence Method" became shorthand for a way of working that combined precision with humanity, rigor with understanding.
For all his professional accomplishments, Benjamin’s proudest titles were "husband" and "father." His love story with Florence was the foundation upon which he built his life—a partnership of mutual respect, shared dreams, and abiding devotion. Together, they created a home that was a sanctuary of love and an incubator of excellence.
The birth of their son Joseph was Benjamin’s greatest joy. In raising his boy, he poured all his wisdom, all his values, all his hopes for the future. Those privileged to witness Benjamin as a father saw a man transformed—his usual reserve melting into unrestrained delight at his son’s achievements, his professional seriousness giving way to playful tenderness.
Benjamin poured his brilliant mind and boundless heart into fatherhood, manifesting his devotion to Mirabel through an exquisite attention to detail that made every aspect of her upbringing feel sacred. He approached parenting with the precision of an auditor and the tenderness of a poet—maintaining meticulous records of her developmental milestones while simultaneously crafting a childhood filled with magical moments tailored specifically to delight her unique spirit. His love shone through in the way he could recite her favorite book by heart after countless bedtime readings, in the perfectly packed school lunches featuring her preferred snacks arranged just so, and in the patient hours spent explaining mathematical concepts until her eyes lit up with understanding.
This was a man whose supreme intellect found its highest expression not in professional accolades but in the sacred duty of knowing his daughter’s soul completely—remembering not just her friends’ names but their personalities, not just her academic strengths but her creative passions, not just her childhood fears but her emerging dreams. Benjamin’s fatherly love was both an exacting science and an expansive art, creating for Mirabel that rarest of gifts: the unshakable knowledge that she was profoundly known, deeply cherished, and eternally safe in her father’s unwavering regard.
To countless nieces, nephews, and honorary family members, Benjamin was simply "Uncle Ben"—a steady presence in times of trouble, a wise counselor at life’s crossroads, a generous spirit who gave not just material support but something far more precious: belief in their potential. His phone rang at all hours with young people seeking advice, his home was always open to those needing guidance, and his wallet was never closed to worthy causes.
On February 26, 2025, the world grew quieter, dimmer somehow, as Benjamin’s extraordinary journey reached its earthly conclusion. But to speak of his "death" would be a tragic misunderstanding—for how can a man like this ever truly die?
He lives on in every student who approaches math problems with his trademark clarity, in every auditor who balances the books with his signature integrity, in every young person who dares to dream bigger because he once told them they could. He lives in the traditions upheld by the Goldsmith Association, in the halls of Zimmerman Presby, Ghanata Senior High, and Montclair State University, in the offices of the New Jersey Department of Labor and the Turnpike Authority.
Most of all, he lives in the hearts of Florence, Joseph, and Mirabel, who carry forward his legacy of excellence and love; in the countless family members who still hear his voice in moments of decision; in the friends who still raise glasses to his memory, their laughter mingled with tears.
Benjamin Bortier Ninepence—Archer, scholar, teacher, auditor, husband, father, uncle, friend—has left the stage, but the light of his life continues to shine through all who knew him. His was a life beautifully lived, a race well run, a legacy that will endure as long as kindness, wisdom, and excellence are valued in this world.
Rest well, son of Nungua. Your work here is done, but your story is just beginning.