Brofohene

Mr Attakora was one of the best Geography masters in the country when it came to Geomophology. His style of teaching was so simple. Most times, his natural instincts will tell him that his geography students are not understanding the topic that he was teaching, and he will look for some simple scenario that will create greater understanding for his students.

Some of such simple explanations were: Mr Attakora was teaching on the upper courses of a stream. Said that " at the upper course of a stream, the river moves in a meandering and a 'serpentine' order. "A serpent, snake. 'se monyinaa nim aboa no a yefre no owo no?' Yes think about the snake and you get your serpentine order." Owusu Ansah (Akasala) of Serwaa House 1977-84 was once arguing with Mr Attakora on something that Akasala did not understand. When Akasala eventually understood, Mr Attakora commented, "Akasala, you always deviate from the points of view, therefore I officially declare you a deviant".

Mr Attakora read a new scientific invention from whichever magazine, and couldn't wait to share this new knowledge with his geography students. He entered the class room and said " did you all know that the Americans have invented a new aeroplane and it moves motionless?" Mr Attakora was a great geographer, but because he originally came from Mampong-Ashanti, all his geomophological features and references could be found at Mampong. Who dare question or challenge such a geographical feature found only in Mampong.

Everyone will never forget his great sense of humour. Mr Attakora ensured that he addressed every student by their nick-names. Whenever he meets any student, he will come to the student's level and interact with the student as if he was a student himself. Beyond his impeccable geographical knowledge that he imparted into his students, no student during his days will ever forget the legacy that Mr Attakora left at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. Up to today, students region-wide, or possibly nation-wide quote Mr Attakora without knowing that those quotations were his own ideas and creativity. Mr Attakora wanted to prove to the entire world that he had ultimate control over the English Language. He was aware that students who were never interested in Geography were attending his lectures, not because they had turned new leaves and had began expressing interest in the subject geography, but he loved to see his geography lessons packed with students, with some even standing in the corridors and attentively listening to him. Why such a great interest in his lectures? It was all because of his self-acclaimed mastery and control over the English language. One thing that he prided himself in and loved to hear was students' responses to his choice of words for self explanation. He adored himself to hear students responding "SHEEEEY-BONO". Once he hears that response, his heart, body, soul, mind, and spirit enters into this realm where his entire thinking processes and thought will be taken-over by some unknown spirits and he will enter into a state of trance where he will be like what some born-again Christians will describe as speaking-in-tongues, but his was purely English. Guess what? He stammers when the strange words don't seem to wanting to hop up of his chest to come out of his mouth. During such difficult times, he appears so frustrated and angry with himself for not beeing able to impress his students so fluently. I will describe some of his lines:

Atakora: Today, we are going to look at the environment, and we shall be discussing things like: environmental determinism....,
Students: Shieebonoo!

Atakora: environmental probabilism...,
Students: Shieebonoo!

Atakora: environmental possibilisim...,
Students: Shieebonoo!

Atakora: environmental me-tooism.
Students: Shieebonoo!

With stammering act, Mr. Attakora will say: 'Adei' 'Adei' 'Adei' 'Se mo nyinaa te Twi die?' He then stops to ask, "but boys, why have you been sheeey-bononizing me?

Then giggles before continuing.

Maxwell Appiah (T-Zorro) of OT House 1977-84, tried to talk his way out of a question that he didn't know the answer, and below was Mr. Attakora's response to T-Zorro's attempted answer.

Atakora: Bombastical rant,
Students: Shieebonoo!

Atakora: Full of extravacant metaphor without application,
Students: Shieebonoo!

Atakora: And destitute of meaning,
Students: Shieebonoo!

Atakora: Let's not forget about the middle and the lower part of the stream. At the middle part of the stream, the meandering and the serpentine order of the stream is less frequent, because of the force of the stream. During this time, the river tries to flow in a straight-like manner, and in effect, cuases ox-bow lakes. 'Se mo nyinaa kai owo no?' This time 'etese nea owo no eda ho na yede sekan atwitwa nemu' Then it will be left with different pieces. At the lower part of the stream, the volume of the river becomes voluminous, carring more debris, and these debris are deposited to form swampy areas called Aluvia Fan. "fan, fan, 'Enti papa nso monhu?"

Now, here follows some of the fabulous English of Mr. Festus Atakora-Mensah. I went decades back with my brain to recollect the phrases which led his class to be attended even by the "Soma Mantses" like seniors Benjamin Yeboah (Arafat) and Dwantoa (Fulani Borogi). Whenever Atakora entered the lecture theatre, we always welcomed him with a big "Shieeebonoo"!!

Students: Shieebonoo!
Atakora: I've told you not to shiebonise my coming!

Students: Shieebonoo!
Atakora: If you shiebonise me louder and ad-infinitum, I will become a foe to the other masters and will be anguished sooner or later. But I think it is a noncomposmentis for them to see me anguished.

Students: Shieebonoo!
Atakora: Well, you can shieebonise me but not in a cacophonous way.

Students: Shieebonoo!
Atakora: The Amazon River meanders in a serpentine order through the Matogrosso forest.

Students: Shieeebonoo!
Atakora: Please don't doxolise me with the shieebonoos!!

Students: Shieebonoo!
Atakora: I was suffering from dyspepsia, that is why I did not turn up last week.

Students: Shieebonoo!
Atakora: You know, when that part of your body, which is the caps, is bigger than your thighs, it means that you are suffering from elephanthiasis, osmosis, tripanosomiasis, silicosis, neuritis, porticullis, enteritis, oncocerciastis, antithesis, poliecies, oasis etc.

Students: Shieebonoo! Shieebonoo! Master, can you give us tips for the exams?
Atakora: I am neither a soothsayer nor a necromancer.

Students: Shieebonoo!
Atakora: But this should not cause rancour and acrimony, because I think none of you is a nincompoop.

Students: Shieebonoo!
Atakora: Some of you are always gallivanting around Rivoli, instead of cracking the brains.

Students: Shieebonoo! Master wo ye brutal!
Atakora: You are now brutalising me, even though I haven't killed a Caesar. I want you to know, I am not here in the name of Brutus.

Students: Shieeebonoo! Shieeebonoo! Shieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeebonoooooo!!!!!!!

It became neccessary for his words and responses to be introduced at the Stadium as part of a unique Premconian samammo during Inter-co. Believe it or not, I was so happy to hear that up to date, students still repeats Mr. Attakora's words at the Stadium during Inter-co. Even centuries from now, Sheeey-bono will still be a part of the lives of Premconians and on the campus of Sofo-line University.

May the Lord richly bless him, and the privilleged few of us who one way or the other came to know him will never foerget him. Mr Attakora was a gentleman, and was liked by every single student who knew him. If he retires, Prempeh College will lose a Great Geography tuitor, because, during his time, majority of the students who took geography to either O'levels or A' levels were fully optimistic that they were going to pass, and evidently his time marked the highest ever percentage of geography students who passed their O's and A's.

WE ARE PROUD OF YOU, MR ATTAKORA. WE LOVE YOU.

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