Rising & Falling
Here is where we observe our school and its people closely, record all our observations and issue a periodic report
on which people are climbing up, and which ones are sinking fast.
So who is rising and who is falling?
 = Rising;  = Falling
July 2005
MR. PETER "ROBO" YEBOAH because he is sincerely remorseful. He
told us that he is actually not an advocate of caning. He doesn't like to cane students; the only time he caned
someone resulted in this unfortunate incident, which appears to have affected his reputation.
The man is truly contrite.
AKAN NAMES because nearly all the newly-elected Prefects go by traditional Twi names without the usage of English names. Very few of them have English Christian names.
THE VICTORIOUS FOOTBALL TEAM
The 2005 National Football Champions
|
for winning the National Milo soccer tournament, which is a prestigious event that brings a significant amount of money and media attention to the winning school.
FREEMAN HOUSEMASTER GUY GEE
for making Freeman House the most comfortable place to live. All Amanfoo over the world are proud of you, Senior Guy Gee.
SENIOR PREFECT KONADU KK for failing to
organize any SRC project this year. One whole wasted year wasted by KK Konadu. One of his friends has revealed that upon ascension to the Senior Prefectship, he made a remark that, "Prefects nkwaseafuo wei beye adwuma no na me manya glory no nyinaa (these foolish prefects would do all the work and I will receive all the credit)."
If this is true then it is really a sad commentary. We asked him about it, but he didn't deny it.
FREEMAN BOYS for being the gentlemen that they are, and for
their overall impeccable comportment.
THE SENIOR PREFECTS-ELECT (AMPONG, DEMITIAH, AND ASAMOAH-ADU)
because of their achievement. We are expecting so much from them this and next year. Good luck to them.
Senior Prefects-elect 2005/06: from left Ampong, Demitiah, and Asamoah-Adu
|
NKRUMAH SAMUEL OBENG the 2004/05 Assistant Senior Prefect for being the star of a hopelessly ineffective leadership group.
MR. T.K. MENSAH (REBEL TEAR) because of his "tear-ible" reputation.
According to the student body, Rebel Tear is "the most wicked man on campus." He canes students just to inflict pain
on the human soul. It is not possible to find a student who says something positive about him.
PEARSON BOYS for their academic and sport excellence.
THE SCIENCE QUIZ TEAM
Quiz team
|
for making us proud once again this year. Though they could not win it all, they left a mark on the national quiz program by
setting a record in the total number of points scored. Their total score of 107 points against Kinbu Sec Tech on Thursday, April 28 is the record.
We implore them to say positive things to their successors to help motivate them towards the winning of next year's crown.
DISCIPLINE because a high standard of discipline has been
nonexistent for a while. Recently, a Prefect went to a disco and fought with another Prempeh student over a girl. This has become
the talk of the town but the last time we checked, the Prefect was walking around campus proudly and would most
likely repeat this act with impunity because the Administration so far has failed to reprimand him.
MR. LARTEY AND MR. OFOSUHENE (SPORTS MASTERS)
National coach, Mr. Lartey, who coached Goloe in Morocco
|
because of the good work they have done in our sports department; they have established a dynasty in soccer
and our school continue to dominate in other areas, including hockey and athletics.
KNUST AMANFOO who redeemed themselves by successfully hosting the 2005 Royal Pair Congress.
They were previously considered the most disorganized group. Thanks for making us proud, Randy, Roland, Francis and all the other distinguished gentlemen.
And thanks to Randy for the powerful photography.
LEGON AMANFOO for providing the needed support to our
Science Quiz team.
OUR LEADERS OF TOMORROW
who are shinning every where.
SENIORS COLLINS OBENG-MARNU AND YAW ADDO-LARBI for the fine piece of work they have donated to Pearson House.
Obeng-Marnu and Addo-Larbi's donation to Pearson
|
AGGREY BOYS for behaviour that leaves so much to be desired.
These boys are seen sitting around their Common Room and other areas during classes. They don't obey school rules, and they are simply bad.
AMANFOO 2004
for their outstanding success. They top all university class lists. The Gyabaah group was excellent.
SENIOR HOUSEMASTER MR ATIEMO
who carries what the students call "the branch" (a cane that resembles a branch of the
mahogany tree). He was one of our favourites and we were extremely happy when he was put in the position.
But lately he has become very unpopular among the students and seems to have fallen out of favour.
He needs to become popular if he is to become Headmaster of Prempeh College some day; the students he is having problems with
at this time will be old and matured enough to launch opposition to his future appointment to higher position at Prempeh.
Not to forget that these kids have influential Amanfoo parents who could turn their backs on him. He needs to work
toward being inducted a Hall of famer, which would counterbalance the difficult moments Amanfoo endured under his father.
This will go a long way in soothing Amanfoo. In fact, Mr. Atiemo is in a great position to re-write the legacy of his
father (our Headmaster from 1977-84). But to achieve that, he must win the admiration of the students. If he advances confidently in this direction and endeavours to
live the life which the great Headmasters lived, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
The famous Mr. Agyekum, also called Paoo
|
BUTLER HOUSEMASTER MR. AGYEKUM
in recognition of his merits as the most venerable man on campus.
Paoo, who is the most popular housemaster on campus commands a lot of respect.
Because of the respect and love the students have for him, Butler has become the most disciplined house on campus. It produces
a majority of the School's cadet corps. Out of fear of contradicting him, the boys do not fool around.
This Mr. Agyekum has been able to achieve without the aid of a cane, which should serve as a model for all the other teachers at Prempeh
and teachers in Ghana as a whole.
MR. OKYERE DARKO because of the love and appreciation
the Sofoline boys have for him and also because of the honours he brought to the College during the year.
He won Ashanti Best Teacher Award earlier in 2004 and went on to compete with seasoned and experienced teachers
from all over the country. He placed second.
Thank you Sir.
CANING because it is
a very barbaric practice that should
have been abolished decades ago. Prempeh should take the lead and set the example for the nation by issuing a
moratorium on caning. As one former SP recently pointed out, "In fact, it happens to be a true curtailing of the rights of the
young students who are going to be the true patriotic people of Ghana and to
their alma mater."
AHMED DEEDAT AMOAKO for winning the National Best Footballer award and for captaining our team to victory
in the National Milo soccer tournament. He gets another chance next year to lead Prempeh to victory again.
Osei Nyarko and Ahmed Amoako
|
MARTIN OSEI NYARKO who was actually our soccer captain, but selflessly handed over the captaincy
to Ahmed, who is in Form 2, because Nyarko is in his final months at Prempeh, and wanted to groom Ahmed for next year. How often do we see that in Ghana in this age?
"WICKED TEACHERS"
because they are unloved at Sofoline.
We have observed a very strange trend among our young Amanfoo, particularly the more recent graduates (i.e., 1999-2005).
When they are asked about their experiences in the Royal School, they describe their former Prempeh teachers with
very harsh words such as "evil, demons, wicked and bloodthirsty."
A cursory glance at the record shows that the young people hold the current crop of Prempeh teachers in very low
esteem and react with opprobrium whenever certain names are mentioned. And the names commonly associated with "
wickedness" by the students are:
-
MR. T.K. "REBEL TEAR" MENSAH
- MR. NAZIQ HYPOLITE
- MR. SAMUEL "PROF SAM" GOODWILL
- MR. SAMUEL "PROF KING" MENSAH
The matter first emerged when the former Senior Housemaster Mr. Obeng Odoom left for Tema Secondary School.
A poll was set up at prempeh.org to solicit people's views about the most qualified successor. But what was
supposed to be a good-natured exercise, soon turned into attacks on the teachers, some of whom were attacked
with the sharpest barbs. Words such as demons, devils and barbarians became commonplace in the ensuing discussion.
This issue is very alarming, considering that hatred of such degree has never before been felt towards Prempeh
teachers in our history. The ever-escalating animosity Prempeh graduates hold against the current teachers
of the school is unprecedented in the school's history. There is something really wrong with the administration
at Sofoline. There is also something wrong with the curriculum of The University of Cape Coast and
the University College of Education -- the main teacher training universities in Ghana.
Most of the curent teachers abuse the students for no apparent reason.
Irrational use of the cane and other instruments used to restrain students have now gone out of
control and it seems there is no systematic, effective way to maintain discipline on the campus.
Atiso, the 2005 Ashanti Best Athlete
|
Prempeh teachers have never been described as "evil, demons, wicked and bloodthirsty." In fact, students who were disciplined
in the past loved and respected the masters. Further, those who were dismissed from the school actually remained loyal to
Prempeh causes even though they had reasons to begrudge the College. So why then are students in good standing feel so much hatred towards
our teachers?
SENIOR ATISO for winning Ashanti Athlete of the Year for 2005. Congratulations to him.
THE PTA for their construction of a new drainage system
to do away with the stench that emanates from the schools bathhouses at a cost of 108 million cedis, as well as the purchase of
cadet uniforms to the cadets and for the insurance they provided for the new tata bus donated to the school by the President of Ghana.
The insurance is worth 28 million cedis.
Our superstars: from left, Goloe, Owusu Ansah, and Atiso
|
ERIC GOLOE for the honour he has brought the
College. The Super Zonal champion in 200 metres, 400 metres and 800 metres has been selected to represent Ghana at the
World Youth Athletics Championship to be held in Morrocco this month.
They chose one representative from each African country and in Ghana, his time of 10.7 secs is the
best, hence the automatic choice. If he can achieve a time of 10.7 at age 16, then we can all expect him to be leading the
country in Olympics as a twenty year old. Eric's future is indeed very bright.
MR. PAUL OKOH for upholding the dignity of the downtrodden.
Mr. Paul Okoh is Hall of Fame teacher who is now in Parliament.
The B.K. master of the 1980s and 90s and Guggisberg Housemaster, and a Member of Parliament for Asutifi North is
leading a crusade against foreign mining companies that take advantage of the vulnerable Ghanaian citizens of the area. He
takes on mining companies that kick people off their lands without compensating them.
Justice with Brazillian friends in the UK when he went to claim his prize "for being the best artist in Ghana."
|
JUSTICE AMOH the gifted artist who won the 4th Unilever National Schools Art Competition and went to London to
claim the famous prize with artists from various countries.
Justice Amoh, a Visual Arts student of Prempeh College, notably one of the best artist of the school
had the chance to visit the United Kingdom for four days after he was pronounced the best artist
in the whole of Ghana. This started when the Unilever Company, Britain brought a letter to the Ministry
of Education, Youth and Sports inviting Ghana to take part in a competition organised to unveil the
potential of students in the art field.
Each school was given a theme with which the students were to carry out their art on. In all 105 students participated. The judges were from the United Kingdom so they was no favouritism whatsoever as that is the case in Ghana.
Justice with another artist in the UK when he went to claim his prize "for being the best artist in Ghana."
|
A month later, Justice Amoh of Prempeh College, who worked on the theme, "Comunication" was adjudged the winner in Ghana. Unilever Ghana then contacted him and told him that he would claim his prize in London so should get his passport ready.
V.Y. GYABAAH
who was missed all throughout the year.
|
