AUGUSCO Launches College Reference Book

The Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast, Most Reverend Matthias Nketsiah has lauded past students of St, Augustine's College for their sustained efforts at improving infrastructure at the college and capping it with the publication of a 724-page reference book.

Speaking at the launch of the College's reference book and almanac, Archbishop Nketsiah, who is also the Patron of the College described the book as a monumental encyclopaedias on Catholic education in Ghana and a comprehensive reference book on the College.

He appealed for the other stakeholders to join these efforts to ensure that students admitted to St. Augustine's College continued to enjoy that optimum education envisioned by its founding fathers.

Unveiling the book during the ceremony, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman (APSU 1961), Chairman of the Board of the Ghana Cocoa Board, said lack of information had led to the disregard of sacrifices made by very prominent past students.

He expressed the hope that with the publication of the College's reference book would now afford not only past students but new students and their parents to be fully abreast with the ideals upon which the College was established.

Mr Owusu-Agyeman encouraged all old students, students, staff and Catholics across the country to obtain copies of the book.

Earlier in his address, the Chairman for the programme, Dr. Papa Kwasi Nduom, an old student, explained that the publication of the reference book for St. Augustine's College was a huge relief to many of the past students.

Dr. Nduom, who is the President of Groupe Nduom, explained that as far as he was concerned, obtaining education in St. Augustine's College could only be a privilege that needed to be celebrated.

He thanked the past students union (APSU) for embarking on such a major project and lauded the Almanac Compilation Team for its sacrifices in ensuring timely completion.

The APSU President, Dr. Ernest Anthony Osei, in welcoming members expressed great optimism that the book project would offer students a new opportunity to imbue the spirit behind the kind of education offered in the College.

Outlining the processes involved in the compilation, the Leader of the Almanac Compilation Team, Eric Atta-Sonno told guests gathered that in the absence of a major reference point, the team had to rely on Catholic newspapers and magazines of the Gold Coast era, journals by the Society of African Missions in the Ireland, interviews with past Headmasters, Senior Prefects, past academic staff and other prominent past students.

He added that the book was expected to be a living document and thus, appealed to members to support subsequent reviews with comments and suggestions that would further enrich the book.

A comprehensive review of the book was done by Nana Awere Damoah.

Present at the ceremony were hundreds of APSUnians across all the decades from 1949s through to recent years. These included Amb. Kabral Blay-Amihere, Prof. George Hagan, Ing. Dr. Robert Adjaye, Michael Kenneth Nsowah (Chairman of the Ghana Education Service Council), Samuel Seddoh (Headmaster from 1969-76), and Sammy Awuku (NPP National Youth Organizer),.

Others are Prof. C.N.B. Tagoe, Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Jude Kofi Bucknor, Business Executive and Member of the BoG Board, and Dr. Kwaku Ansa-Asare (Founding President of Mountcrest University).

The rest are Ben Nunoo-Mensah (President of the Ghana Olympic Committee), Hon (Ing.) Kwadwo Aboagye (Member of Parliament for Biakoye), Lawyer Peter Zwennes (President of the Ghana Boxing Authority), Kojo Aduhene (Chief Executive of LMI Holdings), Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare and Nana Asaase.

A delegation from the College that attended the ceremony was made up of the Rev. Fr. John Hamilton (Chairman of the College Board of Governors), Joseph Connel (Headmaster), Rev. Fr. Patrick Appiah (College Chaplain), Kwadwo Owusu (Senior House Master), some academic staff, Emmanuel Idun (Senior Prefect) and a select side of the College's Philharmonic Choir.

GNA