Prioritise good moral character and training - Boakye Agyarko

A former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, has urged students and education managers to prioritise good moral character at all stages of their lives. 

Speaking during the 148th anniversary celebrations of Mfantsipim School, themed "148 Years of Advancing Educational Excellence in Ghana: The Future," he emphasised that competence without integrity can be detrimental, noting, "There is nothing more dangerous than a learned thief."

Mr Agyarko who is a member of the 1974 Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA), stated that self-discipline and hard work were essential elements in building a good moral character. 

He encouraged the school community, including parents, teachers, and alumni, to help instill the values of hard work, discipline, trust, commitment, and many more in the students, as they would face a future where "wrongdoing might become normalised"

"We must uphold our pride as leaders in shaping the character of young people, embedding in them moral excellence." 

Continue with moral excellence

He further advised students to continue the school's tradition of moral excellence, which had shaped many great individuals globally.

He also encouraged the students to learn something new every day, stressing that the world was constantly evolving. 

He noted the importance of collective effort in making a positive impact, stating that helping someone each day could lead to significant progress. 

He explained that education was meant to foster understanding and empathy, allowing people to become each other's keepers.

Technology and education

The Chief Operating Officer of the Technical and Logistics Group at Jospong Group of Companies and Managing Director of Amaris Terminal Limited, a member of the 1994 MOBA year group, Dr Alex Boateng Atakorah, for his part stressed the positive impact of technology on communication, learning, and interaction.

He emphasised the need to embrace digital transformation, including Artificial Intelligence, to provide personalized learning experiences that equip students with essential 21st-century skills.

Dr. Atakorah urged the school to give equal attention to fields such as arts, technical, and visual arts, alongside science, to create a balanced educational experience. 

Expose students to industry

He called on MOBA members to partner with industries to give students practical exposure, helping them develop entrepreneurial, technical, and visionary skills.

 He stressed that while the government plays a role in education, everyone must contribute to elevate Mfantsipim School to greater heights. 

He congratulated the school's National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) team for their outstanding performance in winning the trophy this year.

The Headmaster of Mfantsipim School, Very Rev. Ebenezer Kobina Aidoo, expressed gratitude to parents, staff, and MOBA and the Methodist church for their unwavering support towards the development of the school. 

He also acknowledged the Methodist Church's continuous spiritual guidance.

 As the school prepares for its historic 150th anniversary, he appealed to all stakeholders, past and present, to join hands in support. 

He advised against letting political divisions affect the future of the schools, students and the nation, adding that "a peaceful election would set a strong example for the youth, showing that democracy can be both robust and peaceful"

The Ebusuapanyin of MOBA, Moses Baiden, announced the launch of a $10 million endowment fund designed to create a sustainable financial resource for the school and urged all former students to give generously in order to make Mfantsipim School one of the biggest the world.

The head boy, Ato Kwamina Essilfie, delivered an outstanding extempore speech that resonated with the audience in more than ten languages, including, Fante, English, China, French, Arabic, German, Portuguese and thanking their predecessors for their support and training, urging his peers to uphold the school's values.

 He also emphasised the importance of maintaining cleanliness on campus, noting that "poor sanitation had become an issue due to some students' behavior". 

He also appealed to all Ghanaians for a peaceful and successful election.

The Omanhen of Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, commended the school for its academic achievements and praised the NSMQ team for making the Central Region proud by securing the trophy in Cape Coast the first time the program was hosted in the central region. 

He urged all students to prioritize good character, stating, "you can be the best student or worker, but if you have a bad character, you can't fit anywhere." He encouraged the students to embody the morals they were being taught, assuring them that character grounded in integrity would take them far.

The anniversary celebration was had the 1994 year group of the Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA 94) as the main sponsor with support from MOBA 64, MOBA 74, MOBA 84, MOBA 04, and MOBA 14.

Awards

Numerous awards were presented to outstanding students and staff for their achievements and dedication to duty.

 Leadership awards went to head boy, Ato Kwamina Essilfie, deputy head boy (academic), Kevin B. Lokko, deputy Head boy (domestic), Prince Dadson and deputy head boy (technical), Gerald Boansi.

Godwin Egyir who was named Scholar of the Year after earning 8As in the WASSCE and being recognized as the best student in Mathematics, Physics, and Technical Drawing, in the 2023 WASSCE, was awarded by the MOBA 1967-year group. 

Other science awards included second-best Biological Science student, sponsored by the 1986 year group Christian Amoako Mensah Yeboah and Eduam George Kobina Manso, who received the B.K. Dontwi prize for third-best science student.

The school also recognized various talents: Agambire Prosper Ayinaba was named best STEM student (Form 1), Segbenya Edem (Form 2), and Appiah-Thompson Peter Abieku (Form 3). 

Kumi Asiamah was honored as Actor of the Year, Clifford Okyere as Dancer of the Year, and David Jackson as Basketball Player of the Year and Isaac Mensah as the best form 3 chemistry student.

 Many other students and staff received awards for their exceptional performance.