An Association of friends, classmates, and colleagues of the late Commissioner of Police (COP) Stephen Andoh-Kwofie on Saturday, unveiled a Home Economics block with a state-of-the-art Canteen to Atonkwa Basic School in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality of the Central Region.
The facility is well stocked with quantities of industrial sewing and knitting machines, aprons, fridges, scissors, electric irons, measuring scales and cooking utensils, among others. As a native of the Atonkwa community, the initiative by the Association commonly known as TAG Group, was to enhance educational infrastructure and open up opportunities in the community in remembrance of COP Andoh-Kwofie’s unwavering commitment to education.
TAG Group had been remembering and honouring the memory of the late COP with annual visits to his tomb at Atonkwa and attending Mass at the Catholic Church in the community. Mr Isaac Akesseh, TAG Group Chairman, emphasised that the project was birthed in 2023 through member contributions, reflecting on COP Andoh-Kwofie’s commitment to empowering rural communities through education.
He highlighted the dual benefits of vocational training, and nutritional support, stressing that well-equipped facilities like canteens foster holistic development by addressing students’ dietary needs while promoting academic excellence. “Today, as we hand over this block to the management of the school, we will continue to keep an eye on it to see how the pupils benefit from it and how well it would be maintained to achieve the intended purpose,” he said.
Mr William Awotwe, the Headteacher of the school, was grateful to the TAG Group for the gesture, saying it was a testament to the power of generosity, community spirit and unwavering commitment to education. He said the facility was more than just a physical structure, but represented a beacon of hope, opportunities, and empowerment for the students.
Mr Awotwe charged the students to make good use of the resources at their disposal to enhance their vocational skills, adopt good character and be compassionate while striving for excellence in academic pursuits. He acknowledged the remarkable successes of the school in the Basic Education Certificate Examination, graduation ceremonies for final year students since 2018, and great performances in quiz competitions.
He further prayed that the school should be added to the National School Feeding Programme considering the dire economic situation of many parents of students in the area. Other challenges, he enumerated included lack of teaching and learning materials, fencing of the kindergarten block to prevent intrusion by town folks, and a school bus to aid students’ movement to and from school considering the long trekking distances to school daily.
COP Andoh-Kwofie, was the Director-General of Welfare at the Police Headquarters in Accra, who died on January 9, 2015, after a sudden illness. He was born on December 25, 1958, in Elmina, he was commissioned as a Deputy Superintendent in 1991 and held roles such as Eastern Regional Police Commander and a Central Regional Police Commander, aside numerous international assignments.
He was a chartered accountant who specialised in financial reporting, authored unpublished texts on accounting, and lectured at the University of Ghana Business School for over a decade. Described as a “kind-hearted gentleman,” his funeral in April 2015 drew dignitaries like former IGP Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, a large number of political figures and people from all walks of life. He was survived by his wife, Superintendent Faustina Andoh-Kwofie, three biological children, and two adopted children.
Source: GNA
