Bravo! Achimota College, says Parliamentarians

Captain (rtd) Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, Member of Parliament for Berekum, on Friday said discipline; good administration and effective supervision were the only way to redeem the sagging academic performance of a number of schools.

Contributing to a statement on the "role of Achimota College in National Development" said the School was able to achieve great heights because the policies of discipline, good administration and effective supervision of both staff and students.

The statement, made by Mrs. Elizabeth Tawiah Sackey, NPP-Okaikwei North, paid glowing tribute to Achimota College for its role in producing eminent Ghanaian citizens since it was officially opened in 1927.

"In the content of its curricula, Achimota sought to turn out a total product, a complete person whom, upon passing through the School would be academically and intellectually prepared with practical hands on skills and sound moral ethical and a deep sense of African values, Mrs Sackey said.

Captain Effah-Dartey, himself an old student of Achimota, who is also in the race for the presidential slot for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), debunked the notion that Achimota College was meant for the children of the elite.

Using his own background from a village in Jinijini, in the Brong Ahafo Region, the Captain said he arrived at the School in 1967, to realize that the compound of Achimota College was bigger the his village.

He called on school to pursue effective extra curricula activities, explaining that part of the excellence of Achimota College could be attributed to extra curricula activities which students were encouraged to undertake.

Achimota College stands tall among a number of school in producing architects, administrators, archaeologists, bankers, buildings technologists, medical personnel and vice-chancellors, vice president, presidents and head of states.

Five former vice chancellors of the University of Ghana were old Achimotans. They were: Prof Alex Kwapong, Prof Daniel Adzei Bekoe, who is also the current Chairman of the Council of State, Prof Akilagpa Sawyerr, Prof George Benneh and Prof Ivan Addae-Mensah.

The School produced four former vice chancellors of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and one for the University of Cape Coast.

Mrs Sackey recalled Achimota also produced three of the "big six" in the independence struggle for Ghana.

The School also produced the country's first president Dr Kwame Nkrumah, as well as the second president Mr Edward Akufo Addo, and the third president, which the school gave to the nation, was Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings.

Members from both sides of the House commended the school on its achievement.

Meanwhile Maglin Industries Limited, on Friday donated a quantity of bottled water to Parliament, specially produced for the House. Mr Magnus Nunoo, Chief Executive Officer of the company said the Company would supply the House daily with the water which would cost about 30 million cedis a month and then enter into negotiations to produce purposely for the House.

Mr Freddie Blay, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, thanked the Company for its gesture and called on other companies to emulate it, to be good corporate citizens.