My first term started on the Thursday 23rd September 1976 after the second common entrance examinations. It was not Prempeh dash-dash but I wanted to be admitted only to the Sofoline University. I got almost ninety percent of the contents of the prospectus plus a size 28 bucket. Weeks before, my father taught me how to eat with fork and knife, wear a tie, eat without my mouth making 'tschau-tschau' and how to organize myself, I mean neatness in everything. My mother bought me five 'supporters', which was called 'bonsuo' by Premconians. In order not to import with me lice and 'nsonkonsuo', I was given a real 'sakorra' and got new pillows.
I arrived around three O'clock in the afternoon at the administration block with a taxi from Asawasi, checked and saw that my house is Serwah. With my father on the other side of my trunk and the bucket in my right hand, we headed towards Serwah House, walking on the classroom corridor. As we go, we saw some tiny-tiny boys in white shirts and speaking English as if they are from overseas. My father told me, did you hear them? You should now talk with everybody here in English. Mmmh? Like these akasanoma children? I asked myself in my head. At long last we were at Serwah House and a man with a side burns came to my father and said he is the house prefect and will take care of me, everything in English. This was Senior Frimpong 'Bunsa'. My father advised me to be courteous, respectful and always speak English. I seemed to have lost myself in the horizon when my father left me alone at Sofoline. Senior Bunsa made a roll call at six O'clock and the supper of 'rice and tomato stew' (gas oil) made me happy again. We were twenty five form one boys in Serwah House. I started to make friends with those I knew were good in Twi. The rest of the student body arrived on Friday and through the weekend.
On the Saturday evening, Senior Kwame Sarpong Sei Siriboe let every form one boy in Serwah dance to a soul song he composed himself. You mention your 'nkwaseadin' and you dance. It was this time that I was baptized with the nkwaseadin; Joe Passarsa. Others were given the nicknames of their old brothers or relatives who were, or are still at Sofoline. I was very proud during the first Monday's morning assembly, to be part of Prempeh College. As the masters entered the stage in a procession, I said to myself; 'these are the men and women who make great men out of us'. The Headmaster Mr. Theodore Adjetey Osae (TAO), and his two assistant Headmasters, Mr. Asare Kwaa (Alpha) and Mr. Gyamerah were at the end of the procession. As an inquisitive form one boy sitting at the front of the student body, I always looked behind to see what those 'diplomatic guys' in blue shirts were doing under the gallery. They were the upper sixth formers. The faces of the highest three diplomats have not been erased from my mind. They are School Prefect (SP) Gyem of Butler House and his two assistants, Senior Twum Kwasi Agyemang of Serwah House and Senior Apenteng of Pearson House.
The first hymn at my first morning assembly was 'Lord behold us with Thy blessings once again assembled here……..'. I didn't know that the last hymn before they departed for the long vacation was 'God be with you till we meet again ……'. Some left for 'aburokyire' (aborofoo no nkyi), others went to weed their farms. When Rev. Takyi-Ansah (Oso) told us to sing the first hymn from the Methodist hymnbook, I thought it was special for form one boys; 'Oh for a thousand tongues to sing, Assist me to proclaim, The tidings of my God and King, The triumphs of His Grace'.
It was my first term when Alpha said; 'Since the Genesis of the term, some boys have been Exodusing themselves to town and I am going to use my Levitical powers to Deutronomise their Numbers'. It was my first term when art master, Mr. Samuel Owusu Koranteng (SOK) started to collect bottles from all form one boys. He praised us the 'kookooase boys' because he knew that collecting old bottles was our job. SOK once said, 'Draw a WOman and his wife! No No No cancel the WO'. It was during my first term when Senior Acquah Samuel Kwasi (S.K.) wished to be known and called Acquah Kwasi Samuel (K.S.)
Senior Addae-Baah (Pope) said that when he grew up he would be a pilot. Pope was in form two but was a member of the Senior Bonwire Kente Weavers. He was one of the best kente weavers on earth. We would have lost a great kente weaver if he had been a pilot. The question is, 'Did Pope want to grow up again before becoming a pilot?' Only Senior Addae-Baah could answer this question but who was to ask? Maybe Senior Asomani Ababio (Bimus) of G'berg could have asked this question.
'When your seniors sit in their dormitories and call me Alpha Alpha you join the chorus, but now that they are calling you Aboyie, you are coming to report! Aboyie, please go away from my office'. This was said by Mr. Asare Kwaa (Alpha) to Senior Seth Lartey. My first term at Sofoline let me doubt the biblical story about Zacheus (Sakio), that little man who climbed the mango (sycamore) tree when Christ was passing by. There was one Senior Babatunde Olabisi Zacheus, a native of Abeokuta who was in Serwah House. This senior was the tallest student and second to Mr. James Akorang Boamah (Adoram), the Bible Knowledge (BK) master, on the Prempeh College planet. My question is: "If Jesus comes the second time and lands in Abeokuta, will Senior Babatunde Olabisi Zacheus climb a mango tree in order to see him?"
During my first term, I could do everything that a real African could; read and write my vernacular language, good handling of cutlass and kotokro, healing with various herbs and knowing the birthday of Kwaku Ananse. I thought I would get a gold medal when we make a best African competition. I accepted defeat when I saw Senior Obibini Nana Yaw Owusu. He was in form five and wasn't 'agyaba' like me, but possessed better African qualities than me, in addition to his beautiful black skin. But he was not the one who read the Twi version of the Bible quotation during the carols night service. The "Yen Nkenkansem"…… was read by Senior Ohemeng Yankyerah Elvis (Y.E.). Yen nkenkansem became the nickname of Senior Y.E. after reading the Bible in Twi. Whilst I was proud in myself to be the best African, it was shameful to express myself as a real African. Senior Marfo-Sarbeng Paul of G'berg was nicknamed 'Abomuu' for saying,'Senior abomuu no asa', meaning 'the stew is finished (for those who still don't know what is abomuu). Senior Appiah Kwadwo Denteh was called 'bokiti' because his mind was African. There are lots of such 'Europeanize yourself properly' still going on at Prempeh College. Is Sofoline only a Europeanization camp?
It was during my first term when apparently the best 100 meters sprinter in the Greater Accra region came to sixth form at Sofoline. It was nobody than Senior Kenneth Lomotey (K. Lomo) from Tema Secondary School, who was in Aggrey House. The news went around that Prempeh College now has the best sprinter from Greater Accra. We were happy to have him. The only person who didn't want to hear of K. Lomo as the best sprinter was Senior Christopher Graham (Olele) who was the then best sprinter of Sofoline. K. Lomo had his own track-suit and trained very and sometimes alone. Those of us form one boys who spent the evenings at the school field in order to dodge being homoed always saw K. Lomo hopping, picking and sprinting. He never run a full hundred meters because nobody saw him doing that. He just sprinted up to twenty meters and would start doing something else with his body. And what about Olele? He trained harder than the school mechanic working on the school tractor. Olele even took some days to train somewhere in order to beat K. Lomo during the inter house athletic competition.
At long last that day came. Olele had already won his heatings. Even if K. Lomo had said that he would only run the finals, everybody would have accepted that. Olele was very nervous walking around and K. Lomo had Aggrey house and all non-Serwah students behind him. They got on the line. The only words we were hearing during this moment were 'Ole-Ole' and 'K. Lomo-K. Lomo'. The rest of the contestants were not existing anymore. 'On your marks, get set pee!!' All of the sprinters got a better start. They were running, running and running. All of a sudden one of the runners fell down, after running about thirty five meters. It was nobody than Senior Kenneth Lomotey (K. Lomo). Christopher Graham (Olele) won the hundred meters making a new record. I think he should have thanked K. Lomo because he instigated him (Olele) to train hard. From that day on, any act of running, whether in a film or at Kajetia, was known as K. LOMO.
Not only these interesting things happened during my first term at Prempeh College but also some sad stories. There was a form one boy in Serwah House, a 'kookooase' boy like me. He was Senior Acheampong Kwadwo Owoahene (K. O) from Ahwerewam near Mankranso in Ashanti Region. He was very helpful (not in terms of giving milk and corned beef) and one of the best boys in 1A. During the first term he was several times sent home to collect the rest of his school fees (85 Cedis per term). He was able to pay the fees for the first term. After the Christmas Carols night he told that he may not come back the next term because his senior brother who was paying his fees is going to marry and as such could not pay the fees any more. It was very sad and I cried with him because both of us were real cocoa farmers but had no Cocoa Marketing Board (CMB) scholarship. Senior Acheampong K. O. never returned to Prempeh College from the second term onwards due to lack of financial assistance. Anytime I am in Ghana and go to my village, I remember Senior K. O. Amanfoo, let us contribute to prevent such situations from continuing happening. There are lots of present students at Sofoline who cannot or must make sacrifices in order to get their school fees paid.
The Christmas Carols Service was the time I started to be happy in myself. I have taken the exams to defend my green shirt, have made friends, three months of farm-free Saturdays, have received many letters from girls who wanted to be my 'alomo'. You know, if you attend a secondary school, every woman want to have you as an in-law. But if you go to Prempeh College, every nice lady wants to be your 'alomo'. Well, there were a lot of 'tombays' from some girls but that's also part of it. It was at Sofoline that I started using the word, christmas tree. I only knew my usual 'bronya dua' with a whole plantain or paw-paw tree which we planted and decorated behind our houses. My first term at Sofoline equipped me with some behaviors and characters which alienated me from where I came from. I could do many things like the colonialist and I really wanted to be like him. I preferred tooth paste to chewing stick; happy to speak English but ashamed to speak my mother tongue; civilized to play cricket than oware and calling my father 'pop' instead of 'agya'. Yes, these were all experiences during my first term at Sofoline. It made me dislike my own culture, religion, language and my African manners. I must learn something in addition to what I learnt at Sofoline. This time not in a school but rather in my village, from the men and women who know the real Africa.
My first term ended on the 18th December 1976. Some friends left with chattered buses, some spent the Christmas overseas and I went to my village. I was somebody special because I was gradually seeing my culture with colonialist eyes. This is what we wished to achieve. But all the same; 'Remember your first term and keep it holy !!'
1899 AD, Prempeh College and the Century (Colonial) Bug !!
The best College one can think of in Africa is the King's College of Ghana, our Prempeh College.
It is now fifty years old and our one year celebration is almost over. We hope the high spirits
at Sofoline which give us the courage, vim and the Jordan to always be the best and will
continue to give our school the showers of Blessings. We are the only "Amanfoo" of all Amanfoo
with the highest self confidence and the highest moral temperatude. We are everywhere doing
everything. We must always thank our parents, ralatives and friends who contributed in one way
or the other to make our days at Sofoline the happiest moments in our lives. We thank the KING,
Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyemang Prempeh II, his nephew and succesor, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, Rev. S. N.
Pearson and many others who, with their vision, have made us what we are today.
Going back to December 1899, there were only three secondary schools in Cape Coast, Fanti. There
was nothing like Prempeh College. This was the time the Ashanti Kings were fighting against the
Europeanisation of their children. Otumfuo Opoku Ware I said, "We are not going to let our
children sit under a tree the whole day and sing Hoi Hoi Hoi!", meaning Holy Holy Holy ....
Merciful and Mercy... God in three Persons Blessed trinity. Yes , he envisaged the brain washing
tactics of the whiteman (the Kwasi Broni). These and other patriotic wishes had already led to
three wars between the Ashantis and the British. The fourth and last Anglo-Ashanti War was just
at the corner, and the 20th. Century (demi semi millenium?) too. The then King of Ashanti, Kwaku
Duah III who later became Prempeh I was stolen (deported?) and sent to far away Seychelles
Islands. A coward and inhuman approach.
A woman, the then Queen Mother of Edwiso, Nanahemaa Yaa Asantewaa, led the Porcupine Warriors to
face the British. With their barbaric weapons, they defeated the Ashantis but the Golden Stool
was well hidden. They burnt Kumasi into ashes. After the new 20th. century Ashanti and other
independent nations were officially colonised to be the Gold Coast, because they could steal
Gold from there. We, the Men owe a big gratitude to our women because of Yaa Asantewaa. Women we
say KUDOS!!
In December 1899, our college was not in existence but the land was. Let us think about the
landscape without the beautiful buildings, the orchards, apian ways, the fields and other
monuments not forgeting the good old gym. Was the land a thick Ashanti forest where antelopes,
elephants, lions and other wild animals were making were having good time? Was it a semi forest
where the then "Asikafoo" (richmen) to be, were having their cocoa plantations? Was the land a
thick forest with the rest becoming the famous school forest? How did the landscape of the
Prempeh College compound look like? I could imagine that there could be a great anthill in the
middle of the Osae Assembly Hall. Seniors, bring your ideas.
King Prempeh II was born in 1913. He became King at age 18 in 1931. Did he have the vision to build his college in 50
years time? Kwame Nkrumah was to be born to Madam Nyaniba in ten years time, Otumfuo Opoku Ware
II, the surveyor of the land was to be born in twenty years time, Dr. James Emmanuel Kwagyir
Aggrey was alive. Did Dr. J. E. K. Aggrey thought of being in his Achimota in 28 years time?
SANKOFA!! Let us go back and think of what the new century was to bring.
How were the names of the people living in what was to be called Gold Coast? Along the coast,
maybe one could meet a Fantiman or Ga lady called Blankson, Johnson, Rawlings, Buckman and Otoo.
Were these people foced to bear such names from overseas? Were and are they happy with such
names? What could be the names of the people who, in 1899 had not been "tamed" by the white man?
Akua Fokuo (Akuokuo), Opanin Nyantakyi, Agya Kwadwo Ntosoo, Yaw Berko Nketia, Koo Fori, Kwabena
Boateng, Oheneaku Kwapong, Yaw Froboo, Kwame Atoapoma Mensah, Akosua Badu, Ama Mansa, Yaw Atta?
What was the new 20th. century to bring in terms of names? Everybody, pronounce your name very
loud, try to hear it and comment on it.
In 1899, in case we knew already that we would be defeated and colonised, what was going to be
out of the offsprings in 100 years. Would the people fight against allienation, throw away their
culture, religion, forms of socialisation? Be proud of the colonial education and even not
produce enough to feed themselves? Producing what they don't consume and consuming what they
don't produce? What were the fears of our forefathers who lived by then? Was there a Century Bug
to be feared? The aircraft, automobile invation, catechism and cocoa plantations?
The new 20th. century brought the translation of our languages into the colonial language of
Eglish. The Bible was the first Book to be translated. Professor J. H. Kwabena Nketiah was to be
one of the first people to assist in translating the Akan language. But there are some names and
words we must translate before they are 200 untranslated years old. Amanfoo, help me to
translate these Akan words into the language we were brought up with, the English language, at
Prempeh College.
This is Joe Passarsa. Ampa!!, amanfoo ye dodookabea; ena omanni nso ye baakokabea. Omani ye
asemfua bi a worente no pii wo yen Akan kasa no mu, efiri se, Nananom se; "obi renkyere obi ase".
Anuanom, mo ma yeni ho abooboo!
Before the arrival of Don Diego d'Asambuja on the coast of Edina in 1471, there were several well
established "Nations" in West Africa. One of these Nations was Asante (Ashanti). Since their southward
movement from Kumbi Sale in the old Ghana Empire the Ashantis expanded through conquering and
annexation of defeated nations or volks. In most of their wars the Ashantis never killed women and children,
they rather married some of them and conscripted the younger men into their army. The beginning of
polygamy in the Ashanti society?
Let's jump to the era of Ohenekesee Osei Tutu and his friend Okomfo Anokye. The first confederation in
the history of Ashanti was during the reign of Ohenekesee Osei Tutu. During his time, Ashanti had
conquered many nations of different sizes.
These Nations were "Aman" with it's singular being "Oman". Some of these nations were Gyaman, Akyem
(Asante), Ahafo, Bono, Adansi, Sekyere, Mampong, Amansie, Odotobiri, Kwabere an the rest. When
Osei Tutu, with the help of Okomfo Anokye united all these nations about three hundred and fifty years ago,
he didn't rub the original identity of any of these small nations.
This United Nation (Ashanti) was a conglomerate of many, some of them small independent Nations
(Aman) with their various chiefs: Amanhene. Being proud to be a member of Bono, Odotobiri, Amansie,
Sekyere or Kwabere was (is) not a taboo or forbidden. It was accepted from the onset of the confederation
that we were all Ashantis but I am from Amansieman and you are from Sekyereman. Whenever Ashantis
meet, they were addressed by using the word "Amanfoo"; which is the right word to describe the "coming
together of many "Aman".
Since the time of Osei Tutu, there is the law (mmra) that ; "Obi nkyere obi ase". This means that no Ashanti
should try (within the Ashantis) to discriminate against each other because of different origins. This "mmra"
has been successful to the extent that the Kumasi Traditional Council is the only of it's type in Ghana whose
members comprise the entire tribes living in the city; "Obi nkyere obi ase ampa"!! The word "Oman" was
commonly used in it's second meaning, which is neighbour e.g. "Owura yi ye omanii"- this man is known
here. Where the oman is used in identification with the origin was when one is asked, to which Oman one
belongs; "wo ye oman ben nii?"- meye Kwabereni!
The students of Prempeh College comprise of all Aman of the independent Ghana and foreigners and in
order not to rub Alooma, of his Ga origin, Aboteate of his Ewe, Blankson of his Fanti, Pwasanga of his
Dagomba, Odengo of his Sudanese origin, only the word "Amanfoo" and not "Omanni" better describes us
as one body, namely representatives of more than one "Oman". If we call someone Omanni, then we should
know afterwards which oman one belongs. I think this could cause more segregation than unity. By calling
ourselves Amanfoo, we accept the different backgrounds and at the same time foster unity among ourselves.
Grammatically it is not correct to call one former Prempeh student Amanfoo but politically it is wellcome.
An opposite example is the Ghana and as such modern nation building in Africa. The independence fighters
overtook their colonial territories and reigned as if the different "societies" living in these colonies accepted to
live together. There was no reconciliation and the differences within the various "tribes" were not discussed
or spoken over. We were forced to live peacefully together. No wonder that we have so many wars
between different "aman" in the same country.
Mano asi!! Mobete me nka bio.
This is Joe Passarsa. We are still discussing in "Aburokyire" whilst the foundation of the proposed Opoku Ware House has
already been laid!! I am now an "Abasiriwa", so I always have to join in a little bit later.
By the way, were we concerned about Prof. Dr. Dada Amin´s inability to have good command over the colonial language or
his stupidity by not speaking in Swahili or both or his cruelty to the people of Uganda? I talked to his lovely son Mr. Mwanga
Amin and he said his father was happy about the attention we still give to him. Mwanga´s father wished Amanfoo; " Long sit
Amanfoo over Ghana and be good like my Makarere in Kampala".
The ninth house issue is almost like the Amin debate. Do we need a ninth house? Does Prempeh College need a ninth but not
Opoku Ware House? Do we need more classrooms first or classrooms and a ninth house? We should try to answer these
questions and try to advise the responsible Amanfoo at Home.
In Joe Passarsa´s opinion, Prempeh College needs a ninth house. Why? Until the mid-nineties the Form Four Leaving
Certificate Examinations (Standard Seven Exams) and the Common Entrance Examinations prevented a lot of pupils from
entering secondary schools. Most of them failed the exams. Agyaba Passarsa sat for two times before he got the chance of
entering Sofoline, what a great thing, making "atodwe" and at the same time wishing to learn like the Dada Mmas. The present
Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) which is taken at the Junior Secondary Three (JSS 3) seldom selects pupils
for the Senior Secondary School (SSS). The intake of students into the SSS is very high at the moment in Ghana. Almost all
secondary schools in the country are facing this problem, large number of students and fewer classrooms and dormitories plus
teachers whose private businesses are more important than teaching.
Dr. Dr. Flt. Lt. Rawlings´ educational reform was the implementation of the results of the Rev. Dr. N. K. Dzobo´s Committee
in 1972. The New Structure and Content of Education for Ghana was amended by the Watson Committee in 1974. It was
implemented during the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP). To cut costs down during the implementation in the ´90s, the
World Bank advised Ghana to have larger classes and shared facilities (Science Resource Centres). There are classes with up
to 45 pupils or students in Ghana at the moment. In the case of Sofoline, the lecture theatre is serving as a Science Research
Centre (SRC) and a computer pool. A new two storey classroom block is under way between Serwah House and the lecture
theatre to ease the situation.
Discipline and the level of "sylla" are at their lowest ebb at Sofoline. Why? Because of lack of enough accommodation facilities.
There are no more "Boarding Only" schools in Ghana but the fewer day students a school has, the higher the discipline and sylla
levels. In the case of Prempeh College, "No master can control a student in town because it is embarrassing always to ask day
students for their exeats. Because of this, most of the boarding students are always in town. It is not forbidden to have a
boarding only institutions, so a new house may solve part of these problems.
If "YES" to the ninth House, should it then be called Opoku Ware House? I Obiri-Yeboah Mensah will say "YES". I want to
tell you a story that everybody can also read at our website under "the History of Prempeh College".
Once upon a time, there was an Asante King who sent his nephew who was a "SURVEYOR" to look for the best site for a
famous College. This Surveyor was hotly confronted by the Gold Coast "Abongo Boys" who had returned from the world war
two. The ex-servicemen asked him; "hey! Sofeya what are you doing down there? The Papa Sofeya replied; "my Uncle, the
King of Asante wants to build a College which should produce only the best intelligent men for this country and the whole
world". The Abongo Boys left him in peace after hearing this. This is the end of the Anansesem.
The Asante King was Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II and the nephew (Surveyor) is Mr. Mathew Opoku, the present
Asantehene Otumfuo Opoku Ware II. The present Asantehene attended Adisadel College at Cape Coast and as such is a
Santaclausian. I think he might have attended Prempeh College if it existed at the right time for him to do so. When he had the
chance of sending his son to a secondary school, that secondary school at Santasi has already been founded but his son went to
PREMPEH COLLEGE. He is Osei Tutu Poku, the present Akyempemhene. He was in OT House and was an ASP at
Sofoline. Otumfuo Opoku Ware II also served the Board of Directors of Prempeh College for quite a long time. As the
Asantehene, he has saved a lot of chaos in the School by serving as an ombudsman. During the last days of Mr. M. K. Atiemo,
he sent "Obofoo" to cool the students down.
Last three weeks, I talked to Mr. Yaw Manu Sarpong, former Deputy Governor of Bank of Ghana and the President of the
Jubilee Committee about the Opoku Ware House. He said some of the Amanfoo in Kumasi said "BIG NO" to it but later, after
discussions they understood and accepted the ninth Opoku Ware House. The ninth house is going to be named after
OTUMFUO OPOKU WARE II AND NOT AFTER OPOKU WARE SECONDARY SCHOOL.
Now to that secondary school at Santasi. The secondary school at Santasi was founded by some Catholic Catechists in the
1950s. They named it after Opoku Ware I, who reigned in the 19th Century because both Kings in this century were King
Prempehs. I think they just copied Sofoline by naming their secondary school after an Asantehene. The Santasi cowboys
always try to copy Sofoline but we have never copied them. The cowboys from the Opoku Ware Secondary School (Opusco)
saw their peers from the hinterland. They always made "palaver" with their fellow secondary schools like Mighty Japass,
Amass, Great Nkatoatico, Supreme Omess, Super Kass, Okess, Boss, Nedss, Dass and the rest. It was their headmaster in
the 70s, Mr. Owusu Donkor (Bush Meat), who advised them not to fight with these schools again. If they should fight, then
with big institutions like Prempeh College. To raise their standards, they had to make palaver with Prempeh. Mr. Owusu
Donkor, knowing that Prempeh is always the best, never sent his children to the Martyrs of Uganda Preparatory School, which
is on the Opuscan campus but rather sent all his children to Prempeh Primary. Again it was "Bush Meat" who omitted the
"secondary" in the Opoku Ware Secondary School and made it: Opoku Ware School (Owass). The Santasi Cowboys have no
house bearing a local name. They have; St. John, St. James, St. Peter, St. Paul and the rest. Everything na saint saint saint!!!
The present Asantehene is an Anglican because of his Adisadel background. He has nothing in common with the Opoku Ware
Secondary School at Santasi. As Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Otumfuo Opoku Ware Silver Jubilee Foundation,
Mr. Yaw Manu Sarpong said he has already informed Otumfuo about the ninth house and Nana was happy about having
something at Sofoline to be named after him. Also the three sons of Mr. Yaw Manu Sarpong, Kofi, Kwadwo and Yaw also
attended Sofoline.
We can still debate on this issue, but please let us do away with our teenager mentalities and stop using insults in some of our
writings. This house name issue is very delicate, so we shouldn´t let some Dignitaries and Nananom feel insulted at home.
Mano asi!!!
