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Achimota School marks 97th Founders’ Day, begins countdown to centenary celebration
Achimota School has celebrated its 97th Founders’ Day with a reminder to all stakeholders to reflect on how to actively contribute to restoring and safeguarding the school’s legacy of academic excellence and public-spiritedness.
“Doing this would require a lot of support from all Old Students, affectionately called Akoras,” Mr Adrian Nii Odoi Oddoye, the Special Guest Speaker, and a member of the 1974-Year Group, said.
He re-emphasized academic excellence and public-spiritedness as legacies that must be restored and nurtured.
The celebration, held on March 2, was on the theme: “Nurturing the Present, Restoring the Legacy.”
The 1974, 1984 and 1999 Year Groups sponsored this year’s celebration.
As their legacy project, the 1974- and 1984-Year Groups undertook the task to rehabilitate and convert the original old assembly hall into a ‘state-of-the-art’ multipurpose facility.
The Founders Day celebration honours and remembers not only the “Founding Fathers” of the school but all the great women and men who passed through the school and gone into the world to becoming “Living Waters to a Thirsty Land.”
The Founders’ Day celebration is a weekend of activities to remember the troika of founders of the school; Guggisberg, Fraser and Aggrey, as well as all the influential Ghanaians who have passed through the school, and to remind past and present students of the lofty vision of Achimota, as well as recalibrate it for the future.
Founders’ Day celebrates tremendous achievements of all Alumni referred to as Akoras in various fields to inspire the younger generation to strive for higher heights.
This year’s Founders’ Day celebration marks the countdown the centennial anniversary in 2027 with a series of activities and projects lined up to restore the legacy
Mr Oddoye, in the keynote address, called for collaboration to ensure the good governance of the school, adding: “We should actively seek ways to collaborate with the government and the school administration to contribute to the school’s governance.”
He called for the School Board to be empowered with autonomy to ensure that decisions were made with the best interests of the school and its legacy in mind.
“Independence allows for strategic planning and execution of policies that align with Achimota’s values,” he said, noting that while collaboration was essential, excessive interference from external bodies could hinder the school’s ability to maintain its unique identity and legacy.
“We must advocate for a balance that preserves Achimota’s traditions and values.”
“We must actively support and participate in programmes and activities that continue to foster wisdom and character development. Mentorship programmes, leadership seminars, and community service initiatives are just a few examples of how we can contribute to nurturing the youth and contributing to the Achimota legacy.”
‘Akora’ Oddoye charged old Achimotans to rally to nurture the present and restore the legacy of their alma mater.
He urged the students to let the pursuit of academic excellence and public spiritedness always be on their minds.
The Old Achimotan Association President, Mr Joel Nettey, charged all to revisit the objectives and values on which the school was founded.
He charged all to ask themselves if Achimota School, as it is currently structured, is in the position to deliver on these objectives and values.
He called on Akoras worldwide to see what each could do to help Achimota School regain its glory as well as compete favourably on the international stage.
“And even more, let’s have a national rethink of what the structure and governance of secondary schools in Ghana should look like for success,” Mr Nettey said.
Mr Ebenezer Graham Acquaah, the Headmaster, commended all the celebrating year groups for the unflinching support and the investments made to keep the school running smoothly.
He implored them to continue to discharge their duties with excellence and collectively strive towards positioning Achimota School as a global centre of excellence in secondary education.
“Achimota School has a glorious legacy that should be preserved,” Mr Acquaah said.
Established in 1927 as the first mixed gender secondary boarding school in the Gold Coast, Achimota has been a trail blazer in providing an all-round education bringing together boys and girls into a boarding system to use their heads, heart, and hands in service and to lead their communities into a brighter future.
It has produced great leaders such as Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings.
Dental screening and health outreach, the launch of the Achimota School Endowment Trust Fund, Torchlight Procession, preceded the celebration.
Source: GNA
