"not only in consideration of the indispensable honour which he helped bring to the alma mater, but above all as a tribute to the invigorating dash with which he has pursued the illustrious traditions of the Prempeh people"     Dr. Kofi Oteng-Boateng

Oteng-Boateng: I was born in Kumasi, Ghana on the 23rd February 1979. The second child to Andrew and Cecilia Oteng-Amoako; a wood anatomist and a teacher respectively. The early part of my childhood saw the family move from Ghana to New York to Papua New Guinea, following the academic and work commitments of my father. My earliest childhood memories would have to be from Syracuse, New York where my father completed a Doctorate in Wood Anatomy. Due to the frequency of our movement during my childhood, the one thing that remained constant during those earliest years was our Ghanaian traditions and customs. Although I left Ghana when I was a little over a year old, the strong cultural foundation my parents built resulted in my often knowing more details about Ghana's illustrious past and cultural heritage than many whom have grown up on its soils. My father being a product of Prempeh College meant that many of the Ghanaian elders that I came in contact whilst living outside Ghana were also rooted in the deep traditions of our alma mater and a strong pride in all that was Ghanaian.

In 1993, after having over a decade overseas with my parents and family we all returned to Ghana. My father subsequently enrolled both my elder brother and myself in Prempeh College. The traditions of Prempeh were to pass through a second generation of Oteng-Amoako's and in so doing all its many facets of 'character and integrity'. I completed Prempeh College in 1996. After completing S.S.S, I moved to New Zealand to attend Otago University School of Dentistry. Last December I graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery. I am now working as a Dental and Maxillofacial House Surgeon at Christchurch Public Hospital here in New Zealand.

prempeh.org: What made you choose Prempeh?

Oteng-Boateng: The wonderful stories my father used to tell me as a child of his days at Prempeh. Also, the words of excellence about the college I had heard form Ghanaians living in and outside of the country. In all honesty having never attended a boys-only school I was originally skeptical as to whether Amanfoo were fully capable of developing a complete character. A couple of weeks into my first year those reservations were put to rest.

prempeh.org: Who were your favorite teachers on campus, and why?

Oteng-Boateng: Mr. Ben Kumah (also an Amanfoo) my Biology teacher. He had a real love for Biology and was always keen and willing to teach and help out students. One of my last memories of Mr Kumah from campus was of him climbing a flamboyant tree on campus the night before the Biology practical and picking a flower. A couple of my classmates saw him and immediately concluded that this specimen was to feature in the up coming practical and the word was passed around. To everyone's disappointment it didn't. Not too sure how true this story is but many of my class mates will stand by it.

Mr Anokye, Chemistry teacher. The way he thought Chemistry made it very interesting and entertaining. He also spent a lot of time and energy in arranging the preparations for the 1996 Brillant Science and Mathematics Quiz. Mr Anokye used to call the not so good students 'Teacher Killers' because he said they kill him anytime they give a nonsense answer to a question.

prempeh.org: Besides being the Captain of the famous Maths & Science Quiz competition team, you were also the first Day Students' Prefect at Prempeh. How did it feel to be a Prefect and what do you consider your legacy?

Oteng-Boateng: By the time I entered Prempeh, the school had grown to include a significant percentage of day students whom for what ever reason had chosen to be day students. It became increasingly evident that representation was needed for these day students and one head prefect elected solely by the day students was required. The idea was toyed with by the Head Master and Senior Teachers before finally being passed.

I was subsequently elected as the first Day Senior-Prefect. I guess being the first day student in Prempeh's history to be made a prefect is an achievement equal to captaining the college's Science and Maths team. I guess it is something that I will always be remembered for. Being a prefect and working closely with the designated head and assistant prefects to me was recognition by Prempeh that I had a lot to contribute, not only from a leadership perspective but as a mentor as well. This was despite the fact that I was not a boarding student.

prempeh.org: Did you face any difficulties during your term of office?

Oteng-Boateng: Not really. I guess the conflict of roles between being a Prefect and a classmate, especially the few times it involved exerting my authority over them.

prempeh.org: Sir, please tell us about the National Science & Mathematics Quiz competition which you helped win for our Dear School. Please tell us about the structure of the competition: the divisions or sectors and the number of schools you defeated along the way.

Oteng-Boateng: Back in 1996 when I captained Prempeh's three-man team, the competition was divided into two sectors, north and south. The Southern sector comprised of schools from Accra and Cape Coast regions. The Northern Sector comprised of schools from Kumasi up to the northern part of Ghana. The competition was run as two separate competitions and a winner from each sector was obtained by a knock-out process. Finally the winners of each sector faced each other for the National final. Prempeh College had managed to win the inaugural competition in 1994 lead by the great Owoo (Osei Agyemen Jnr) and Johnny Sobotae; the win came as a surprise to the southern sector schools which include in their ranks Presec, Achimota, Adisadel, Wesley Girls amongst others. I guess Prempeh College's win only reaffirmed the fact that it was truly a school without rivals in the region (much to the disappointment of our Santasi cousins) and in many ways unrivalled nationally. After winning the Quiz in 1994 - Prempeh was unceremoniously defeated in the semi-final stages the following year. Much controversy surrounded the 1995 Quiz team, of which my brother Kwajwo Oteng-Amoako was a reserve and many felt should have competed as his depth of general knowledge and mathematical ability was simply outstanding (Kwajwo had earlier in the year won first place for Prempeh College in Regional Mathematics Competition). So I guess in competing for the Quiz team of 1995, there was a certain expectation to reclaim Prempeh's glory and to a lesser extent salvage some family pride.

The Brillant Science and Mathematics quiz takes place in front of a live studio audience consisting of students and staff from the various schools. The programme was a ground breaker of sorts, becoming the first quiz show of its kind on Ghana National Television. It's show casing of raw Ghanaian talent made it a huge hit on television and many of the students that took part became instant celebrities (as I was soon to find out).

The competition itself is divided into five rounds. The first round involves explanation of scientific terms and short answer questions, the second is mainly calculations ie. Maths, Physics and Chemistry. The third is the problem of the day which is a challenging science question in which we are given five minutes to answer. After the time is up a contestant from each school goes up to a black board and writes out his solution to the problem. The fourth round is riddles and the last round consists of True/False questions.

The 1996 competition saw us compete initially with Techiman Secondary - whom we beat convincingly with a 84 - 37 whipping. Our second match was with Ghana Secondary School, Tamale - whom we beat comfortable with a final score of 87 - 65. Our quick and unadulterated technique made it evident from early on that we stood a good chance of winning the competition that year. Our regional semi-final saw us face Opoku Ware School. That match was special in that it was the first time that the two schools had met head to head in the competition. We once again won comfortably beating Opoku Ware 78-59. The Northern Sector Final was against Tamale Secondary school whom we beat by 29 points. Having won the Northern Sector Final, we were to travel to Accra five months later to compete against the Southern Sector Champions, Presbyterian Secondary (PRESEC).

The Quiz team - 3 contestants plus 5 reserves

One morning in early October, the Prempeh School bus was loaded with 3 eager quiz contestants, five reserves and a teachers. The bus was destined for the National Teacher's Hall in down town Accra where the competition was to be held. We arrived a day earlier, having practiced our technique and revised the relevant areas of Science and Mathematics on the bus trip there. The night before the examination was spent practicing and relaxing for the competition the following day. We got to meet our rivals that night and realized just how frightened they were to be competing against us. That night, we received news that a large group of Prempeh boarders had "escaped camp" and traveled all the way to Accra to support us that day. The boys had dispersed themselves amongst various families in Accra with the goal of regrouping early that morning to trip to The Teacher's Hall in order to give us the support we needed. It reaffirmed just how much the competition meant to Prempeh, its students and The Ashanti region in general.

On the morning of the competition we got up early, prayed, and had a good breakfast before traveling to the competition venue. On arrival we were to meet the Prempeh supporters amongst many other students who had traveled down for the competition. I was surprised to recognize my father in the audience having traveled down from Kumasi with other Amanfoo to be there for the occasion.

That day we battled our toughest battle against an equally skilled PRESEC team, who equally had a reputation to defend. PRESEC had won the previous year's competition and were eager to defend it. It was a battle between the 1994 and the 1995 Champions. The competition was fierce with the leading changing many a time. Our solution to the problem of the day, a complex chemistry problem put victory soundly in our laps. We beat PRESEC that day, 81 - 77 and regained the title. In all honesty, the PRESEC guys were in many ways as good as us in some ways perhaps better. I think we performed better that day.

The Quiz team with the famous trophy

On winning the competition we left for Kumasi a couple of hours later on the Prempeh bus back to Kumasi. We didn't know what to expect but were shocked and amazed at the response. On arrival at Sofoline we were met by the mass of Prempeh Students chanting and singing our praises. The crowd was so dense that it became all but impossible for the bus to make the trip up Sims lane. Subsequently we stepped off the bus only to be carried on the shoulders of the students all the way back to Prempeh College. That night Prempeh did not sleep with celebrations continuing well into the night and for many a day after that. A special day was set aside by the Asantehene King Opoku Ware II and the Metropolitan Authority in recognition of the achievement. It was truly a joyous occasion.

prempeh.org: How was the preparation like? Was it an intense daily study? Were there any special tutorials by the teachers?

Oteng-Boateng: The preparation involved the eight selected science students being camped in Freeman house over a two week period during a semester break. We had about five hours of formal classes a day. The rest of the time we (quiz contestants) watched videos and listened to tapes of previous competitions, and quizzed each other. Getting closer to the competition date the three selected quiz contestants (Yaw Adu-Boakye, Isaac Sackey and I) were quizzed against the five reserves (Isaac Oti, James Sarfoh-Ansah, David Oturoku, Richard Boateng and Yawson Clement Aremah) at morning assemblies and I am glad to say that the three of us managed to win everyone of these morning contest.

prempeh.org: What was the headmaster's role in the preparation?

Oteng-Boateng: I guess he made sure there was financial backing for the team and he also arranged two bus loads of supporters to be taken to the final in Accra. He also ensured that we had more than enough to eat - ensuring hardy portions of 'choopee' in the dining every morning, lunch and evening for many a week.

prempeh.org: How were the Prempeh representatives (contestants) selected?

Oteng-Boateng: Initially 8 contestants were chosen by the science teachers based on performances in end of term exams. The final three contestants were selected by numerous tests which the 8 of us had to sit.

prempeh.org: Captain, you mentioned that you beat the Santasi people along the way to victory. How were they? I mean, how did you find them?

Oteng-Boateng: We beat the Santasi people very convincingly at the Semifinal stage of the Northern sector competition. I was hoping for more of a challenge. We won convincingly by almost 20 points, 78 - 59.

prempeh.org: Please tell us about the National Final in Accra, starting from the journey from Kumasi to Accra. Who traveled with the team of contestants? Were there any reserve contestants? Where did you all stay in Accra?

Oteng-Boateng: As stated earlier, three contestants, five reserves and Mr Anokye the coordinator of the quiz team who left for the National Teachers' Hall in Accra on 9th October 1996, the day before the national final. We stayed at the hostel on the same site as the Teachers Hall. We used the four hours in the bus to revise certain topics we each had to master for the following day. That night the atmosphere in our rooms was surprisingly calm and relaxing. It was not until the following morning when the tension started to build, especially when the supporters started arriving.

This achievement could not have been done had it not been for the constant support we received and from the continuous prayers of staff, students and families.

prempeh.org: Was there support from the Prempeh Old Boys in Accra?

Oteng-Boateng: Yes. A number of Prempeh old boys especially the ones on the Association were there. Also, a number of Old Boys (including my father) made the journey from Kumasi in their own vehicles. They also provided financial contributions and invited us to a dinner at the end of the year.

prempeh.org: How did you feel about the fact that the whole nation was tuned in watching you?

Oteng-Boateng: The competition being televised across the Nation made me want to put on a memorable performance and to do my best. Which I did. I did not realize how popular the Competition was until it had been televised. After the competition started to air - it became a common occurrence to be approached and congratulated in the streets by random persons for my performance. By the time the final competition had aired, I had become somewhat of a local celebrity being inundated with applause and commendation. I had over 40 letters from other students around the country congratulating me on the success and wanting to keep in contact. I am still in contact with many of those students till this day.

prempeh.org:Please tell us about the school we faced in the final and the caliber of contestants they presented.

Oteng-Boateng: Presbyterian Secondary presented as tough opponents in the final. It was a tough and close contest and I have respect for the three contestants we faced. They all had excellent knowledge of the four science subjects. There wasn't much room for wrong answers because any question that a team answered incorrectly was sure to be answered correctly by the other. At the end of the first round we missed three of our questions and were trailing 22 - 27. The gap was reduced to one point after the third round. We took the lead after the riddle round in which we answered two more riddles than Presec. And we were successful in hanging on to our 4 point lead to win 81 - 77.

prempeh.org: Sir tell us about the whole show from the first question to the end when you were declared winners. What sort of questions were they asking?

Oteng-Boateng: The questions asked in the final were of a higher caliber than the questions we'd been asked in the earlier rounds. The caliber of the questions asked in the final was much higher. They seemed to probe into areas of the SSS syllabus that not very much time is spent on in class. There was even the occasional question from outside of the syllabus. One question which I remember vividly and that both schools got wrong was 'What is Chromatic Aberration?'. I will never forget the definition. Another question I remember is ' Choose the odd one out and why: Leutinizing hormone, Growth hormone, Adrenaline, Prolactin, Follicle stimulating hormone'. The answer being Adrenaline because the others are produced by the pituitary gland.

Getting to the last questions when it was obvious that we were going to win it was very difficult to control our emotions of joy. The Prempeh supporters were getting disruptive with their celebrations.

As winners, the school received 1.5 million cedis and some soap products from the sponsor Lever Brothers.

prempeh.org: How did the Prempeh boys celebrate after the show. And what happened when you arrived on campus?

Oteng-Boateng: There was a lot of singing, clapping and dancing on the bus all the way back to Kumasi. The following day was made a class-free day and there was a parade through the streets of Kumasi. The trophy was presented to the Asantehene King Opoku Ware II, Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive and the citizens of Kumasi. We received a lot of donations mainly money. The head master bought a cow for lunch the following day and every student (even the day students) were invited to the 'D hall'.

prempeh.org: You are a dentist now. Are you in private practice or in academia (affiliated with a University or teaching)?

Oteng-Boateng: I work full time as a Dental and Maxillofacial surgeon at Chrsitchurch Public Hospital in Christchurch, New Zealand. I also work part time at a private practice. As an added note, I am still in constant contact with my quiz team mates who regularly drop in to greet my parents back in Ghana. Isaac Sackey is completing a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering in 2002 and Yaw Adu-Boakye will be completing a Medical Degree in 2003.

prempeh.org: Considering that you left Prempeh just 5 years ago, it is really a magnificient achievement and a vindication of the Prempeh system to have achieved so much in such a little time.

Oteng-Boateng: I think the combination of a strong academic background, high moral base, thorough ground in cultural values and great friendships were taken from Prempeh College and adopted into my future pursuits. Throughout my undergraduate days these skills were to serve me time and time again. I think it is not until we leave the walls of Prempeh that we really appreciate all that it has done for us. Long-live mother Prempeh.

prempeh.org: What was/is your motivation towards your professional studies? How did you find Dental School?

Oteng-Boateng: My days in Dental School were a combination of higher academic and moral standards with sprinkled with a fair amount of socializing. I found that academically I was somewhat gifted and could afford to give my studies often less time than others and still come out with flying colours. Realising this I took on part-time positions to fund extra-curricular pursuits; hence I served in the positions of a computer technician, computer network administrator and Deputy Warden of a university Hostel whilst maintaining top marks in my program. I graduated with high commendations.

I think my main goals as a practitioner are to make the most of every moment and opportunity knowing that you only get these chances but once. I think in Ghana we appreciate just how difficult life can be at times and hence as Ghanaians we tend to appreciate this need to make the most of our opportunities. My motivation in professional practice is sheer excellence, as my father constantly reminds me - remember that you are carrying the name of your family and your nation on your shoulders in everything you do; others may be judged by that.

prempeh.org: Did you mention that you keep in touch with the other contestants?

Oteng-Boateng: I keep in touch with my two team mates and some of the reserves. Most of them are at UST. Yaw is in Medical School due to complete in 2003 and Isaac is doing electrical engineering graduating in 2002.

prempeh.org: What about future goals: both professionally and socially?

Oteng-Boateng: Haven't given much thought to my future from a social point. But professionally, I want to specialize in Maxillofacial Surgery. This will most likely involve another six years at university/medical school. I am keen on doing my specialization somewhere in Australia.

prempeh.org: Thank you, Sir, for this footprint you left at Prempeh and for the invigorating manner in which you have pursued the illustrious traditions of the Prempeh people (Medicine), vindicating the Great School in the process.

Oteng-Boateng: Thank you Sir for giving me this opportunity to share my Prempeh experiences with all. It is really an honour to be featured on prempeh.org.

My experience at Prempeh was life changing and despite the tough times I went through it was all worth while in the end.

prempeh.org: Thank you, Sir, for having achieved so much at a remarkable age of 21.