Monday, February 12, 2007

Founders’ and Pioneer Students’ Day Celebrated

Regional Minister, right, with Minister of Education, second from right.

The Headmaster, Mr. A. Owusu-Achiaw said that the College wanted to honour its heroes before they died. He enumerated some of the successes chalked by the College over the years. He gently noted that whenever Prempeh beat Mfantsipim, it was not out of arrogance but that it was always done with utmost respect. He promised that the high academic standard of the school would be maintained.

The President of the Old Students’ Association (Amanfoo), Dr. Kufour gave a brief history of the College and acknowledged the immense contribution of the Asanteman Council, Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, the Methodist and Presby Churches, the then Commissioer for Ashanti, Major C.O. Butler, Mfantsipim School, Wesley College, Rev. Sidney N. Pearson and a host of others. He then went on mention the names of the pioneer students who came forward to be congratulated by the Mr. A. Owusu-Achiaw, current headmaster, Mr. R.T. Sackey and Mr. E.A. Sekyere, both former headmasters of the College.

Hon Papa Owusu Ankomah (an old student of Mfantsipim), who chaired the occasion and also doubled as the representative of the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Snr. John Agyekum Kufour, in his address, stated that in the relative short existence of Prempeh College, it has been able to achieve so much comparable to the level of Mfantsipim School. He said Prempeh would continue to receive special attention and hoped that the College would help in the implementation of the new educational structure to be introduced soon.

Dr. Osei Kuffour, our Old Boys President, with students

A representative of the Pioneer Students gave a speech on how life in the first days of the College was. He explained why Prempeh old boys call each other “Senior”. He said that he headmaster informed them that they were all equal since there was no Form One or Two. When it came to the time of choosing a prefect, they found it very difficult because each of them was capable and hence, everyone was a prefect. They started calling each other “Senior”. When new students were admitted in the subsequent year, they copied the tradition of calling each other “senior” from the pioneer students and it has remained so to date.

Most Rev. Dr. Robert Aboagye-Mensah, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, noted with satisfaction the sound collaboration between the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches that has contributed to the success of the school. He advised the students to maintain a high level of discipline.

A new neon sign, jointly constructed by the SRC and Prefects of 2007 was unveiled after the ceremony.