By Michael Donkor, OT '84

CONTENTS
WAS IT A FOUL PLAY, OR WAS IT A NATURAL URGE TO WIN?
THE HISTORY OF THE DEMONSTRATION THAT OUSTED ATIEMO

The second most important sporting event in Kumasi was the Inter School Hockey Competitions. Here, winning is the key. It was referred to as 'the survival of the fittest'. There were not much dating games here, however if one was lucky, it could be used as a preamble towards inter-co, thus if one was lucky to lay a solid concrete foundation, awaiting the rest of the building works at the stadium during inter-co.

Whilst others were making all the moves towards the foundation of their love lives, some few people with the honour of the school on their shoulders would also be making all the necessary preparation with the aim of winning the hockey trophy for their school in that year. It is difficult to tell which ones were more competitive, the hockey matches or the athletics.

Whether there would be a fight between any two Kumasi schools during inter-co, would mostly depend on the nature of hockey match that those two teams had. If the hockey season was ended on a sour note between any two schools, then one was guaranteed that the differences would surely be settled in a fight at the stadium during inter-co, and if it wasn't completed, then you were assured to continue during the Super-zo. This means that hockey competitions and athletics were directly inter-related and correlated.

The year was 1979-80 academic year. Three schools were tipped to win the hockey trophy for that year. These schools were TI Ahmadiyyah, Osei Twiritwie (OKESS) and Prempeh College. TI Ahmadiyyah was through to the finals. Prempeh and OKESS had to play in the semi-finals to ascertain which of them will be facing TI in the finals. For some political reason, the semi-finals between Prempeh and OKESS was to be played on the grounds of Prempeh College. On hearing this, we felt that God had buttered our bread for us. But unfortunately for us, our hockey guru Sabutey (Butey) of G'berg House had been called into the national team, and we had no choice than to play without him. Meanwhile Butey was our coach, strategist, game planner and the main central pole holding the Prempeh hockey team together. Without Butey, psychologically, there was no hockey team.

The match was sadly started, and oh! Boy, we held on tight. Our hopes were that once we were able to hold on till the end of the game and come penalties, Alex Kwaku Appiah of Aggrey House, the then school's hockey goal keeper was trusted to save some kicks, because when it comes to such times, Kwaku wouldn't be scared to stop the hard hockey ball with his forehead.

The first half was difficult, because OKESS was making the most out of the absence of Sabutey. They attacked throughout, and Prempeh was therefore compelled to play defensive all the time. The first half was goalless. Similar defensive tactics were adopted in the second half. OKESS was getting anxious for not scoring any goal without Butey. Prempeh was getting more and more frustrated for taking the constant defensive stands. Half way through the second half, the unfortunate and forbidden thunder did strike Prempeh, because OKESS scored a goal. By this time, their confidence and enthusiasms were sky high and that of Prempeh was far below the sea level.

We were totally outplayed, and the fear was that OKESS stood more chance to score some more goals. Prempeh needed miracle or manna from heaven to withstand the barrage of attacks that were coming from OKESS. God was certainly on their side. That was the feelings at that time any way. In order to avoid such a humiliation on our hockey pitch on our school grounds, some one had to come out with a spiritual or technical solution. Well, spiritual levels were 'zilt' (zero). And do you realise that you cannot think straight when you are caught in the middle of a serious mess? Prempeh certainly needed a Messiah or a Redeemer.

There are two umpires for each hockey match. One of the umpires was from OKESS. NO, don't think 'that wasn't fare' because the other umpire was a hockey icon; our own Senior Kwabena Nyarko, who even spent his spare times to come to coach the school's hockey team. Was he our Messiah? I'm not sure yet.

Now, this is the difficult bit. Kwabena Nyarko whispered to Angola that we had about 15 minutes left. Angola was sure that Butey might be in school from the national team the following week. So he came out with the idea that if Prempeh manages to disrupt the game before the official duration of the game, OKESS's goal won't be counted because the match was not officially completed and in that case there will be a replay, by which time Butey would be in town to deliver Prempeh. The question was how was the game going to be disrupted? Any ideas?

OKESS had a particular dynamic and talented forward liner wearing their No 9 jersey, who had proved to be difficult for us, the Prempeh defenders. This guy was too fast and so swift.

Michael Donkor 'Angola Seaman' (OT House 77-84) a form three student who was a defender in the Prempeh hockey team had his best friend in the school called Emmanuel Kwabena Manful 'Avoh' (OT 79-83). I, Angola called Avoh to the side and inform Avoh that I was going to disrupt the game, because once I managed to disrupt the game before the full-time, there will be a re-play. And all that I wanted him to do for me was to gather some of the 'hefty guys' to circle around me in order to prevent any physical attacks and also to get some others to run onto the field as soon as I cause any trouble of any kind. . I decided to eliminate that guy. I signal Avoh about my ideas, and I reviewed the positions at the Prempeh defence to ensure that I marked that No 9 myself.

This may sound a wicked idea, but you see, the OKESS No 9 forward liner was posing a severe threat to Prempeh. Just to be safe, in case Butey did not return from the national team the following week, then that No 9 would be a thorn in our flesh. So to give us the benefit of the doubt, and to ensure a slight glimpse of hope during a re-match, the No 9 had to be prevented from playing in the re-match.

How did I do save the match? I moved slightly away from him, so that he will be considered by his colleagues to be free and they would pass the ball to him. We had only about 5 minutes left to do this 'saving-the-match' business. Well, just as predicted, Mr Swift-Fast-Forward-Liner isolated himself, and the ball was passed on to him. I pretended to have attempted to intercept the ball, but failed. So I turned round to follow this guy with the ball. I over took him in order to avoid tackling-from-behind, which would be a foul. I went a bit further, marked all his possible routes, and took a better stands waiting for him to dribble and to pass me with the ball. Everything had to be done so neatly so that it does not raise any suspicion of a deliberate act to disrupt the game. Meanwhile, Avoh had organised some people ready to storm the pitch and no matter what, these people were not to leave the pitch so that playing cannot be continued as such there will be no choice than to end the match pre-mutually.

When this fast and swift No 9 got closer to me, I pretended to have made an effort to clear the ball, but instead I aimed at his legs, took a good swing and my hockey stick got him exactly at the spot on his leg that I was looking for. He started screaming in pain, and in a matter of seconds, the OKESS players did run towards me just as the way that some headless footballers do, but Avoh's team immediately circled around me to defend me. So the whole manoeuvre appeared like they had come in to save me from being attacked physically by the OKESS players. Of course, the others joined in so it became an all round fight between OKESS and Prempeh on the grounds of Prempeh College.

I was whisked away, the match was called off, and a re-play was scheduled two weeks later at a neutral grounds which was Akrokerri Training College; and only players from both schools were allowed to travel to the venue. Sabutey could not make it for the re-play; neither did the OKESS swift and jet-like No 9 forward liner. Prempeh did beat OKESS 3-1.

The final match was held at the Wesley College (WESCO) between Prempeh and TI Ahmadiyyah. Sabutey took part and Prempeh won the finals by 2-0. Prempeh won the trophy all-right, but that was not the end. TI who could not come into terms with loosing the trophy did physically beat lots of the Prempeh students. The fight was continued at the stadium during the inter-co and Super-zo.

The moral question now is, was this a premeditated cheating, or it was a fare and foul means of winning because in those days, our opponent could have done worse things if they were to find themselves in the same predicament as Prempeh College?

Back to TOP

The normal procedure of admission into Prempeh College was, acquiring great marks in the Common Entrance with the results of the entrants proudly displayed on the Students' Notice Board.

When we started form one in 1977, there were four streams namely 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D. Each stream consisted of 35 students. That year was also Attiamo's first year in office as the new headmaster of the school. When we got to form two, all four streams had been increased to 40 students in a class, implying that 20 new students had been admitted. Probably it was a good idea because most people wanted their wards to attend the prestigious Prempeh College, however mid-stream admission was unprecedented.

The food that was being served in 1977-78 academic year was nothing near the stuff that was chucked on our dining hall tables in 1980 onwards. The famous and delicious 'middle-east' with their each side protective 'somebody' bread that was once used as a means of punishment at the dining table for stubborn students disappeared. The sweet scented 'Fante' kenkey was replaced with unidentifiably green-leaf-covered tennis ball-sized supposedly kenkey, which eventually came to be known as 'adwete' due to their hardness in texture. The Tuesday's supper was the soft and smooth 'Nkran dokono' with fried fish. This was replaced with some disgusting, coarse, easily disintegrated and tasteless nameless 'whatever-it-was' beyond human description, let alone been asked to eat it at supper time so as to survive the Prep.

The school ordering shop where students happily ordered their famous green shirts and khaki shorts as well as stool labelled note books disappeared, and also the opportunity to have your clothing and other items washed by the Asanteman Laundry all disappeared courtesy of Attia's marred administration.

The classroom block was beyond repairs with most of their posh louver blades removed and some of them shamefully replaced with ply woods, but some were bare, and when it rained, certain classes had to be prematurely stopped, as the students would obviously get wet. The tables and chairs were never sufficient, and students had to run to other classrooms to 'pinch' furniture or/else one will have to stand or sit on the floor so as to catch up with lectures. I am not describing the scene of a school in a remote village, but these were happening in the King's College.

The entire source and credit of the peaceful demonstration in which not even a single plate was broken should be giving to His Excellency the then school's Dining Hall Prefect Senior Vadis, formerly of Aggrey House.

One faithful evening, the food was extremely disgusting, and too small. Senior Vadis walked to the headmaster's house, called him to the dining hall and asked him to see for himself if he (Atia) would feed that food to his dogs. This was done in the presence of the students. I think Senior Vadis' move was a courageous one, because as a dining hall prefect, appointed to serve his people, he literally advocated on the behalf of his people by asking for a better food to be served, but unfortunately he became 'the enemy of the state' because Atia called for all his prefects and instructed them to ostracise Vadis, and these so-called 'quango' of prefects who attempted to be loyal to Atia, therefore did a very good job of excluding Vadis from various meetings. Vadis who was then also en executive member of the school's Cadet Corps became paranoid about the prefects and therefore sort help from his military attachés. First of Senior Vadis recruitment was a young 'quasi-crazy' reliable and dynamic junior cadet Michael Donkor (Angola Seaman). " I remember Senior Vadis saying "I've seen the way you behave on the hockey pitch when there is inter-school hockey competition, and also I like the way you behave in the cadet. I admire your bravery, and there is a job that I want you to be part of. Everyone is scared of Atia including the prefect body and if we don't do something about Atia, the school will no longer exist". Vadis said he was under constant surveillance by the then Atia spies who ranged from some of the prefects right down to even some form one students, and therefore his chances of staging a demonstration (demo) was slim, but counted on Angola to initiate, sustain and ensure a successful demo. Vadis completed his sixth form without achieving his ambition to remove Atia from the office as the headmaster of the King's College.

Vadis did visit his younger brother at the school one day, and at that time, Angola Seaman who was then a senior member in the cadet corps together with Achaka were commanding the cadets at parade training. Vadis came to the training grounds, he was introduced, and on leaving whispered to Angola Seaman, "I count on you to finish the unfinished business". Achaka heard this and asked Angola what that statement was all about, because he could not perceive in any way how Vadis could be friends with Angola, someone his junior by far. And when informed about the demo to be completed, Achaka became so interested. Fredrick Asare (Achaka) at that time had returned from a year's stay in the USA through the AFS, and was also a dynamic cadet member prior to and after returning from the States. Achaka who had few weeks prior to this day, had 'snubbed' Atia for making a sarcastic comment about his dedication to the cadet, and this pushed him to agreed to play an active role in the Demo team to remove Atia.

The first person to be approached to join the team was one very assertive, outspoken and a good scriptwriter Jones Osei Ababio of G'berg House. Jones was more than happy to join in. Initially, Achaka wasn't pleased with the idea of Jones joining. Because Achaka wanted all the recruits to come from Osei Tutu House to avoid any Atia spy getting to know what was going on. So Jones was to be the first and last person from outside OT to join the Demo team. The next three recruits were Opoku Agyemang Anane (Anagio. OT. 1977-82), who was diplomatically confrontational; George Agyei (Bofa. OT 1977-82), whose father was then a Geography master and also Assistant House Master to OT House; he was a very quiet, but Mr. No-Nonsense type and lastly Emmanuel Manful (Avoh. OT 1978-83), who has got a face of a very trust-worthy-angel because his father was then the President of the Ashanti Region Scripture Union. Avoh supplied most of the money needed for various bits, i.e. transportation, food and drinks etc. One other task of Avoh was also to befriend Yaw Yeboah (YY), the then Special Messenger to Atia, by showering YY with gifts and money so as to enable us gain easier access to Atia's office for some documentary proves to support our claims. We restricted the working party to the six of us, however certain people were going to be needed for their services, but they didn't have to know what they were needed for as well as not knowing all that their services were about. Jones struck some serious friendship with Michael Atiamo of G'Berg 1977-82. Michael was Atia's nephew, and his required service was to supply Jones with inside information from Atia's house on campus and also to get him to disclose about the finance sources of Atia's campaign to become Parliamentary candidate in the general elections. Only Jones and Angola knew of Michael Atiamo's involvement, because had Achaka heard of Michael's backdoor involvement, Achaka would have certainly discouraged this. Hey! Talk about honesty, loyalty and genuineness, Michael had all of these qualities. More especially when he eventually got to know what the information was all about, he became more committed, and this was what I called true objectivity, without nepotism. And I have since respected Michael for this.

The initial plan was to justify and to gain support for an unprecedented demo by making the whole world aware of the misdeeds that had been going on at Prempeh College. We decided to write an article and give it to the Pioneer News Paper editor Baffour Attakora Gyimah, who we thought, as an Amanfoo might be co-operative, and help us out by publishing it. So Jones, with his skills in script writing teamed up with Angola and wrote a three page article entitled " Education in Premconian Community, is it a right or a privilege?" After the article was completed, Angola took it to his father's office to type it himself before its presentation to the Pioneer. On the day of taking the article to the Pioneer office for publication, Achaka, Anagio, Bafa and Angola walked from campus to the Pioneer office. The rationale behind the walking was to allow us more time to discuss how we were going to convince the editor to trust us so as to publish the article without disclosing it to Atia. When the team got to Baffour Attakora Gyimah's office, he began asking certain questions that made us all suspicious, but said he was asking those questions to ascertain the validity and the reliability of our grievances.

How did the team get to know that the article ended up on Atia's desk? Well, Avoh's false friendship with Yaw Yeboah the Special Secretary to the head master became handy. YY disclosed to Avoh that he had seen a typed article on the headmaster's desk, which had condemned the headmaster, and also beside that article were the students' files of Angola, Achaka, Anagio and Bofa. Obviously, either one of the Atia spies managed to penetrate through the Demo team or the editor had also given the article as well as our names to Atia, because these four files belonged to the same four students who sent the article to the Pioneer office. It must be stressed that no one is saying catabolically that it was Mr. Baffour Attakora Gyimah who had disclosed the article to Atia, because it could have been disclosed from an employee from Angola's dad's office where the article was typed, or even an employee from the Pioneer's office rather than the editor, but all that we got to know was that the article ended up on Atia's desk. It became more worrying when Yaw Yeboah reported from the headmaster's office that Atia had instructed him to take those four files to his house, and as to what he was going to do with them in his house, he didn't know. The team knew that Atia was aware of the attempted demo, but Atia didn't know that the Demo team was aware of his plans to victimise these students. So it became necessary for Atia's office to be visited the second time to remove all the bad reports that were kept in two of the members' files. Yes, someone must believe me that nasty things were written and had been filed in these folders.

It may sound quite strange and hard to believe that people were in the same school, and never knew that such a major operation concerning the future of the school was going on, but then 'that's how the cuckoos crumble'. At least some few individuals with the future interest of the Prempeh College at heart volunteered to attempt to secure the future of that great institution. Only that their volunteered efforts were futile.

THE SECOND SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT ENTITLED 'HAPPY ENDING AT LAST'

The second phase began in 1993, when Jones and Angola, both of whom were key players in the 1982 unsuccessful Demo team gathered enough incriminating information to start the battle all over again. The first meeting between Angola and Jones took place at the school's hockey pitch in a late evening following a hockey training when they both stayed behind to reflected on how the previous attempt had failed, and whether it would be a good idea to have a second go. The second meeting took place at the lecture theatre, and as that meet was not finished at prep time, it was continued on the top of the G'Berg bathhouse commonly known as the arena between G'berg and OT House. That position was strategic and advantageous, because the topic could be changed instantly as soon as a person is seen approaching, and we would occasionally pretend to be composing a new Samammo. From that spot, one can even see someone trying to get to OT from Serwa house via the Dining Hall arena.

It was after one faithful mid-night when Robbie of Aggrey House went to look for Jones in G'Berg House, and was informed that Jones was sitting on the arena. Robbie became suspicious about the time and the nature of the meeting. Angola lied to Robbie that they were busily composing Samammo for the stadium, but Robbie did not buy that excuse. Jones asked Robbie if he could take a blood-oath, and when he said yes, he swore an oath there and then that whatever he was going to be told was going to be a secret, and also he should be willing to part take. What a big fish to catch? The three of them spent hours discussing how the first one had failed, and Robbie, who had had the experience of planning a successful demo somewhere in Central Region came out with some brilliant ideas. So he became a very useful assert.

The next step was to cease an opportunity when the food served at the dining hall was going to be disgusting, to use it as an excuse to win the then Dining Hall Prefect Michael Kusi Darkwa (Darkus Junior) of Serwa House. That opportunity wasn't long to come, because the food was almost disgusting every day anyway. Darkus had had enough of students complaining about the state of the food, so he was in a die need of emotional as well as physical support. So we offered him some shoulders to cry on as well as some advise that something certainly got to be done about this barrage of abuse; and so he did welcome the idea for something to be done.

Whilst the meeting with Darkus was going on that evening, the then Serwa House Prefect Albert Owusu Ansah (Akasala) was also in Darkus' room. He jumped for the idea for some action to be taken. At least two dynamic cabinet ministers (prefects) from the school's prefect's body had been won to join in.

Angola went to the Regional Education Office to seek advice about how to conduct demo successfully without breaking the law. Then Senior Kwabena Nyarko who is a renowned Hockey player during his days in Prempeh was working at the Regional Education Office as the students' allocations officer for the Non-graduate National Service Scheme. When the Senior heard about some people attempting to correct the misdeeds that had been going at the King's College, he appeared pleased, and advised that instead of just walking about in the streets with placards, the police and soldiers could be called in to storm us all, rather we should in advance write our grievances and distribute them to various prominent people who would back us up, so that when we decide to take it to the streets of Kumasi, there will be no trouble with the authorities. This advice was adhered to.

Probably the most difficult person to win at that time was 'the one on the top of the arrowhead' or head of the cabinet ministers, thus Hayford Gyampoh the then School's Prefect (SP). Robbie, Jones and Angola made an appointment with the SP to meet him in his room. In order to avoid any leak of what was going to be discussed, the time had to be at Prep hours when most of the junior students should be expected to be in their classrooms. About an hour to the meeting, Robbie, Jones and Angola went from one dormitory to the other to ensure that all the junior students in Aggrey House had left for prep. They were also threatened that there would be a secret roll call at any time during the prep hours, so they were to ensure to stay the entire duration of the prep.

What would one tell the SP to win him? Where does his loyalty lie? Is he loyal to his head master who appointed him, or to the people that he had been appointed to serve? In his junior school years, Hayford was a very outstanding cadet member. One needed to be on his side during cadet outings to listen to his harmonious voice when the Samammo was jamming. Also one thing that became handy was that whenever there was any cadet parade, no matter where, how when and what it was, Hayford, Avoh and Angola were always lined up side-by-side. That past alliance became handy, as Jones himself was also one dynamic cadet member from his junior days, and Robbie was also from Aggrey House just as the SP. The 'three musketeers' namely Jones, Rugby and Angola were waffling on by highlighting all the misdeeds that had been going on in the school, and Hayford asked 'why don't you guys go straight on to the point?' That statement made it difficult for the SP to be informed about their intentions to start a demo. However Robbie gathered the courage and did hit Hayford with the big news and he was also informed that Darkus and Akasala had agreed to join in. Said, he wanted to be given some more time to think about it. His immediate commitment was demanded, in case he informed the head master first thing the next morning. Hayford the next day requested for another meeting in his room, and it was during this meeting that to our surprise, he agreed to join in. Angola suggested to Hayford that his position as the SP was 'cagey' and needed being protected, because Atia would feel extremely let down by his chosen SP if the impending demo becomes unsuccessful. The plan therefore was that he should continue helping out, but on the day that the actual demo takes place, he would be kidnapped and hidden so as to deceive Atia that his SP had nothing to do with the demo. But Hayford bravely said that he would join in all the way from the beginning to the end. Akasala also mobilised some of the trusted sixth formers.

At the planning stage of the demo, the timing was crucial, because the team had to make sure that classes were not disrupted and that exams would go on as usual and that nothing will be destroyed in the school. To the teams surprise, one Saturday evening, whilst all the juniors were enjoying their entertainment, Hayford the SP summoned all the prefects and told them what the plans of some people were to remove Atia from the office and he also told the prefects which side he was and urged them all to sacrifice and join in that important project for the betterment of the future of the school. Obviously, some of them were afraid, and needed firm persuasion and loads of reassurance, whilst majority of them were all for it. Hayford used the exact words, "with unity, we can do this, and all that we need is your co-operation". The date of the demo was set for the next Wednesday, because by that time, all the exams would be completed and also the school was scheduled to close for vacation on the following Friday. That means there was urgent need to delegate tasks to specific people. On this occasion, there was nothing like writing an article to Pioneer Weekly Papers to be published, instead our grievances were going to be written by a team headed by Jones. Hayford, Yamoah Danso (ASP) Richard Aiddoo (Aggrey House), Atua Asante (OT House Prefect) and some others were going to be our mouthpiece whenever any outsider asks any questions so as to avoid contradictions and confusions, and Angola, Akasala and some others were going to make all the necessary preparations i.e. ensuring that the school's bus and the bone-shaker truck would be available for the march on the day, and also to see to the safety of the students on the day of the demo.

Unfortunately for the team on that Saturday, one of the prefects had hinted someone about the impending demo, and within minutes, like a bush fire in a dry forest, the whole school became chaotic. Before the meeting was completed, the juniors were already waiting and chanting for the removal of the headmaster from the office. It wasn't easy to control students who were full of hysteria and excitements. The team's immediate concern was that none of the students would go out of control to throw any stone towards the headmaster's bungalow. To this effect, the crowd was steered towards the Alpian Way, and some trusted people were placed in vantage positions to ensure that none of the students go towards the direction of Atia's quarters. Sergeant-Major Seidu Busanga (Honouree Commander in Chief of the Cadet Corps) came out to find out what was going on. He asked who the leader was, and said he was all for what the students were doing, however he wanted to talk to a member of the cadet corps involved. When Angola shown up, he instructed Angola to be the leader and to ensure that no damage whatsoever was done to any of the school's property, because that will go against our good intentions. The chanting went on peacefully till about 02.00 a.m. before all the students went to sleep. On the following Sunday morning, the church service went on as usual, but at nighttime, the Samammo started again from Butler House, meaning people had to be placed at the vantage positions again.

Apparently, Atia had dubiously managed to arrange to have Mr. Attrams, our most respectful Senior House master to be transferred to TI Ahmadiyyah Secondary School, but Mr Attrams had refused to go. So that Sunday, almost the entire school was behind Serwa House and outside Mr Attram's bungalow singing him songs of praises. He came out, thanked the students and pleaded for them to go to bed, which was sincerely obeyed by all the students.

The Monday morning, during the morning assembly, Atia came in as usual to bombard us with some explosive words and referred to the students who were singing as rogues, and demanded for the night singing to cease. He demanded for an urgent meeting with the prefects' body and branded them useless for failing to control the students and threatened them that if they felt incompetent, then he would sack them all and replace them with competent ones. The Monday morning was uneventful as some of the students had some exams to write. The grievances were copied and distributed to The Regional Education Office, The Asantahene at the Manhyia Palace, The Regional Commissioner at the Regional Office, The Regional Police Commissioner at the Central Police Station, Dr Luthriott at the UST and Owusu Acheam at the Cultural Centre who represented the Old Students Association, The Pioneer Weekly news papers was officially given their copy, and also Atia himself was served with a copy.

When the copy of the grievances was delivered to the Regional Office, they all felt that this was a bunch of rogues who intended to stage a demo to destroy the school. They therefore intimidated the team members and even threatened that if they dare hear that there had been any demo in the school, those members and the rest of the students 'will face the maximum consequences'. That was very off putting, but did not scare, frightened or shake any body, because this was the first time since 1982, or even since Atia came into the school as the head master in 1977 that there had been a unified force to ensure his removal from office. When the team feedback to the rest of the team about their treatment at the Regional Office, the unanimous decision was that we go ahead with the demo and if it was going to cost us all our lives by firing squad for staging the demo, we all die in saving the name and the future of the Prempeh College.

The Monday night was devoted for visiting various masters' bungalows to sing Samammo to them, but unfortunately, one particular master Oboley, a French tutor stood in front of his balcony and started abusing the students verbally, and as a warning; a stone was thrown towards where he was standing. The stone was deliberately aimed at the wall beside him purposely to scare him off, but not to hurt him. As soon as the stone hit the wall, he instantly broke the fastest running record from his balcony into his room.

On the Tuesday morning, apparently, Atia went to the Sofoline Police station to complaint that the students had threatened him at night, and therefore requested for police guide for the night. The school activities went on as usual. On the Tuesday night, at suppertime, announcement was made at the dining hall that the entire school was meeting at the assembly hall before prep. All the students had a rough idea that history was going to be made the first time by officially announcing a demo. Hayford and all his cabinet ministers, obviously with Angola and his Demo Team at the background walked majestically through the middle of the assembly hall onto the stage, whilst all the students were standing up and clapping their hands. Hayford commended the students about how they had managed to comport themselves despite all the uncertainties that had been going on and also informed the students that there was going to be a march through the streets of Kumasi with placards, and that this was going to be considered a peaceful demo. The school's bus and the boneshaker would be behind the marching students, hopefully as well as police escort. "Standing on the stage, to hear Hayford make that statement, I saw tears dropping down my cheeks, because something that had taking two years to plan, coupled with its failed attempt in 1982 was going to be materialised" (Angola Seaman) OT 77-84.

Apparently, there were some police officers guiding Atia's house that night, but as usual, the night chanting went on. This time it was to go and disgrace the special secretary to the head master Mr Quansah through songs. Whilst the students were chanting in front of his house, Mr Quansah came out of his house holding a firearm (pestle) in his hand and threatened to shoot if we did not leave his premises. Angola, who was so furious on seeing the pestle, asked Senior Owusu Ansah (Akasala) if the two of them could 'take Mr Quansah on' physically before he shoots any of the students, but Akasala declined this and said he would talk rather to Mr Quansah himself. So Akasala challenged Mr Quansah that as long as the school campus is inclusive of his residents, he could not restrict students not to stand outside of his house, that the police was going to be called for him for threatening to shoot innocent students. As soon as he heard that the police were going to be called for him, Mr Quansah did run back into his house, and never come out for the rest of the night.

On the faithful day of the demo, some of the team members already left the campus with the grievances to distribute to the designated offices and left messages in each office that the students were harmlessly on their way to the office with placards. After breakfast, if was with mix emotions, because it was so sad to see students from a school like Prempeh College (the King's College) chanting in the streets of Kumasi demanding for the removal of their headmaster, at the same time it was with joy that after seven years of terror our cries and voices were going to be eventually heard for the first time.

The marching route was: - from the school to the Cultural Centre, then to Kajetia, from there to Adum where we stopped for the Pioneer papers to take photographs of student warriors, then through the Prempeh II Street to the Regional Office where Senior Kwabena Nyarko came out of the Regional Education Office to congratulate us, and the Regional Commissioner, who had threatened us earlier, came out to stand on the balcony to address the students and pledged that he would ensure that Atia is brought to trial. A demand was made for Atia to be tried on campus and that was also agreed. We connected via the front of the City Hotel, then to the Kejetia, then up on the hills, and who was seen standing in front of his fathers' shop? It was with great joy to see Senior Vadis (the originator of the demo) in a state of shock, not knowing what to say, with eventual tears dropping down the cheeks. "Vadis game me a warm, sincere and firm handshake and said, I knew you will do it one day" (Angola Seaman). We then headed towards the Manhyia Palace. The late Asantehene Otumfuo Opoku Ware II did not come out, instead sent his secretary to address the students. To our amazement, Atia actually turned up at the Manhyia Palace to see Otumfo to explain what the students were up to, but Otumfo refused to see him, because he had already read our grievances and was looking forward to send his delegate to investigate. As Atia walked out of the Manhyia Palace, he was like a lamb for free offering. No one touched him, but the Samammo to disgrace him was flowing.

All the students marched back to the school, where those who felt they had had enough from Atia's saga went home on vacation from that day, where as those who were waiting to be picked up waited. But some of the sixth formers and all the members of the core demo team stayed on campus to witness the trial of Atia, for two reasons. Firstly to ensure that there was no biasness in the trial process and secondly to see how the mighty Atia Empire was crumbling.

Perhaps it is extremely important to mention that THROUGH OUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS OF THE DEMOSTRATION, NOT EVEN A PLATE OR CHAIR WAS BROKEN, NEITHER WAS ANY STUDENTOR MASTER BEATEN AS A RESULT OF THE DEMO. THE ALLERGED DEMOLISH OF THE GALLERY AND THE STONING OF ATIA'S BUNGALLOW NEVER, AND I LAY EMPHASIS THAT NONE OF THESE HAPPENED. The strongest ammunitions or asset that the demo team had was its ability to control the students so that no one breaks anything, because Atia was dying to see something destroyed so that he will arrange for the police or soldiers to come and storm the students so as to foil our plans, but none was of these happened for him.

A Methodist Reverend who was also a Major in the Army was the PNDC representative and he chaired the panel in Atia's trial. There was the Asantehene Secretary, who represented the Manhyia Palace. There was Mr Owusu Acheaw, who represented the Old Students Association, a representative from the Regional Education office, and also an independent adjudicator. The trial was held at the Assembly Hall, and students could sit in to listen without making any giggling or noise to interrupt or disturb the trial proceedings.

All the masters were scared to come out to testify against Atia until Mr Adoma broke their silence by coming in to speak the truth about all that Atia had been doing. And Atia himself was shocked about Adomah's honesty. This raised the curtain for the others to come in to pour out their contributions to Atia's mismanagements. When Mr Quansah was interrogated, he denied the possession of a firearm, despite threats from the chairperson that if he doesn't own up and the truth eventually comes out, he will go to jail.

The Red herring at that moment was the trial of Atia, which was beyond reproach. Because most of the masters had said their individual pieces about him, the questioning of Atia was unimaginable. Atia sat there to lie about so many things and occasionally branded his own masters as liars for saying false things about him. The panel and the people who were there, as observers needed more loads of guts to hold in their anger, because Atia couldn't stop lying. So at one stage, the chairperson pointed to his green military uniform and actually threatened Atia that "Mr Head Master, if you don't tell the panel the truth, I will have no choice than to switch the 'green lights' on you". By green light, he referred to the then military disciplinary actions that were going on at the time of PNDC.

Atia eventually got the sack, and Prempeh survived. Happy ending uh!!!!?

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