Joe Lartey

On 12 June 2022, Lartey was honoured with the "A Life in Sports" award by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) in Doha, Qatar, for his contribution to sports in Africa. "Over to You Radio and TV Sports Broadcast Excellence" is an award ceremony named in his honour for his service in sports broadcasting and journalism. He was also awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 Exclusive Men of the Year Africa Awards.

During the era of the Supreme Military Council (Ghana), he was involved in the activities of the People's Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ) that opposed UNIGOV under Gen. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, working in the trenches with Nana Akufo-Addo, Komla Agbeli Gbedemah and others. He moved to Lagos, Nigeria when the leaders of the movement were being pursued, and stayed there until 1990.

On his return in 1990, he hosted programmes such as Sports Digest and Hall of Fame on GTV while teaching public speaking to various groups.

Lartey left the GBC in 1973 and joined the Food Distribution Corporation that same year as a public relations practitioner, but he left in 1978 to go into private practice.

There was a special resettlement package for those discharged from the British Navy, as part of which, Lartey was given a scholarship to train as a teacher. He did the Certificate "B” at Winneba Training College, passing out after two years. Because of the Cambridge Certificate he obtained from Wolsey Hall, he was able to do his post-certificate training at Wesley College, Kumasi. He spent five years teaching at Larteh, Kwanyako, Swedru, Nyakrom and Accra until 1961.

He joined GBC in 1961 following a recommendation from an old mate from the Accra Academy, Boso Kpohonu, who was the Head of Research at GBC.

After less than a year at the Accra Academy, he left home for Takoradi to join the British Navy. He was sent to Free Town, Sierra Leone for further training. In 1945 the war had ended and his group was demobilised in 1946.

In 1938 his father returned to Accra and Lartey was sent to Government Senior Boys School at Kinbu to continue his education. He completed middle school in 1943 and was admitted to the Accra Academy in 1944. He followed events of the Second World War by listening to the war speeches of British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, on radio, and by reading magazines.

In 1935, his father was transferred to Tamale. He decided to go alone because of the distance. A journey to Tamale from Accra at the time lasted three days. Lartey, his younger brother and his mother were left behind. A few months later, his younger brother took ill and never recovered until he died. His father had to come for him and his mother. At Tamale, Lartey enrolled at the Tamale Middle Boarding School but his father sought permission for him to be a day student, since he fell sick often.

Lartey started his education at Accra Royal School around 1933. Not long after, his father was transferred to Cape Coast and he went with him. However, before he could find another school, his father took ill and was brought back to Accra.

Joachim Awuley Lartey (born 6 June 1927), aka 'Over To You' Joe Lartey, is a retired Ghanaian commentator and journalist. He worked with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation from 1961 to 1973 and 1990, and with Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria between 1978 and 1990. Lartey was ranked amongst the top five African football commentators by Goal, an international association football news website.

Lartey was born on 6 June 1927 at Lutterodt Street in Accra to Emmanuel Akushey Lartey and Madam Emma Araakua Lartey. His father worked with the Treasury Department.