Asantehene Honours 5 Award-Winning Teachers

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II,  Asantehene, has promised GH¢10,000 to the five teachers in the Ashanti Region who won awards in the 2008 National Best Teachers' Award ceremony in Sunyani for bringing  honour to Asanteman.

He described the honour as appropriate and commendable, explaining that teaching was a profession that needed to be accorded the due respect and recognition.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu made the pledge when the five teachers paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Wednesday.

They are Mr Sadique Boateng of Kumasi T.I. Ahmadiyya, Senior High School (SHS), who emerged the overall Best Teacher, Mrs Magdalene Mensah, a French teacher at Opoku Ware SHS, who was the first runner up, Mr Charles Forkuo of Akrokerri College of Education who placed second in the Mathematics category, Mr Clifford Addo-Diabene of Kumasi Secondary/Techical, third in Science and Mr Michael Acheampong of Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI), who also came third in the Technical category.

The Asantehene noted that Ghana could only advance in her social and economic development if teachers were adequately motivated to enable them to educate the populace especially the youth to assume centre stage in the nation's developmental agenda.

“The improvement of the quality of life of Ghanaians can only be realised if teachers are adequately empowered to contribute meaningfully to overcome poverty, ignorance and squalor,” he said.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu was optimistic that the awards would not only motivate the winners to work harder but also encourage other teachers to perform creditably.

Mr Joseph Kwabena Onyinah, Ashanti Regional Director of Education, thanked the Asantehene for his immense support to the development of education in the country and gave the assurance that the teachers would continue to work harder to bring more honours not only to themselves but Asanteman and Ghana.