By Kat. Rodney Nkrumah-Boateng (AF147), Immediate Past Akatakyie Global Vice President
In recent years, speech and prize-giving days in our senior high schools have become an intense competition of sorts among alumni bodies as they seek to project their schools and alumni groups, with social media acting as a propagating catalyst. This past weekend, Opoku Ware School, celebrating its 74th anniversary this year, was not left out of this trend.
In 1999, the group of students who were admitted to the school was accorded the letters ‘AZ’, in accordance with the finest traditions of the school’s unique numbering system. They graduated in 2001, and this year, these Akatakyie, as silver jubilee celebrants, took their turn to host a homecoming weekend with the speech day as the jewel in the crown of activities. The theme for the weekend was ‘Building Alumni Excellence: Honouring the Past, Present and Future.’
They had come from near and far, from every corner of the globe and from every background, to celebrate 25 years of God’s mercies since they left the school and to give back to the fountain that nourished them. Lawyers, doctors, finance persons, entrepreneurs, administrators, engineers, IT specialists, businessmen – bound together by the unique ‘AZ’ label, from which many friendships had endured over the years.
Though connected via Whatsapp, meeting in person brought a new perspective and fresh vigour, especially as some had not met since parting ways in 2021. Of course, some had passed on to glory and others could not make it, but that did not dampen the spirits of the valiant Akatakyie AZ group members who stormed the campus for a weekend of fun, of reconnection to their roots and of appreciation to God for his grace.
On Thursday evening they joined the students, staff and other Akatakyie for a debate between students of the school, Prince of Peace Girls SHS and St. Louis SHS under the motion ‘The use of tablets in senior high school has caused more harm than good.’ To the utmost disappointment of the young gentlemen, the ladies of St. Louis won the debate.
The official homecoming curtain went up on Friday morning, when they arrived on campus in grand style and in a convoy of SUVs stretching from the forecourt of the Melcom store near Santasi roundabout, all the way to the school gate. They blew their horns, unfurled and waved giant school flags and pumped blue and gold smoke into the air for their triumphant entry, to a rousing welcome by the students, and thence for a vibrant ‘jama’ session with the boys at the school’s iconic foyer. Social media buzzed with images and clips, and the plaudits flowed, as some ladies swooned over the handsome AZs, pledging that their sons would attend the school one day.
Then it was time for an interactive mentoring session with the boys at the school’s Nana Joe Mensah Auditorium, where the AZs engaged the boys and shared with them their professional and personal life experiences. The session was topped up with a stage entertainment performance by Kat. Kojo Manuel, a social media influencer who thrilled the students. A football tournament followed in the afternoon, with the AZs emerging triumphant in a final match between the group and combined team of their contemporaries from Prempeh College and Kumasi High School.
Saturday was the day and all roads led to ‘Santisburg’! Bright and early, the AZs, smart in their special anniversary kaftans, turned up at the school foyer as special guests at a parade put on by the school’s cadet corps, methodical in their steps, with the school’s regimental band in full swing. The Guest Speaker, Kat. David Asamoah (AG19), the Board Chair, Kat. Kwasi Ofori Kuragu (C10), the headmaster, Rev Stephen Owusu Sekyere and the Akatakyie Global President, Kat. Mike Adu Domfeh (AB146) were all in attendance and were led to inspect the parade. Social media buzzed.
Afterwards, the entourage proceeded to the school’s Kat. Nana Joe Mensah Auditorium for the colourful main event, which was entirely funded by the group at a cost of GHC100,000.00 and chaired by one of their own, Kat. Nana Sarfo Kantanka (AZ79), Kyidomhene to Ofumfuo’s Nkwantananhene. Deserving students and tutors were rewarded, and the school’s athletics team that won the recent regional super-zonal championships were honoured. A fundraising event to support the school’s drive to nurture sporting excellence raised GHC52,000.00, before the AZs handed over the baton to their immediate juniors, the BCs, who will host homecoming next year, when the school turns 75.
After the three-hour event, it was time to inaugurate, consecrate and hand over to the school the group’s anniversary gift in appreciation for the nurturing they had received there many years ago.
The GHC500,000.00 project, the fifth and final phase of a comprehensive landscape project comprises grassing, planting of shady trees, construction of semi-circular reinforced concrete seats to foster interaction or socializing, construction of a laundry area with reinforced concrete seats and table, 10 standing pipes, 5 reinforced concrete scrub basins, floor drains, 600sqm area of pavement blocks installation, installation of kerbs to define pedestrian walkways.
Lunch followed at the school’s iconic Burgess Hall for all guests, whilst the students were treated to a sumptuous lunch of jollof rice with chicken and yoghurt in the dining hall, sponsored by the stars and showboys of the weekend, the AZs. Thus the curtain came down on the stage for the day, but this did not prevent the young(ish) men from stepping later into the night to unwind and enjoy themselves.
Sunday morning meant a thanksgiving mass to thank the Lord, and the AZs lived up to the billing, turning up at the auditorium in their numbers, resplendent in their kente cloths. Kat. Rev Fr Joseph Owusu Ansah (AZ108), who lives in the UK and travelled home to Ghana for this homecoming, led the celebration of the mass, his very first on campus since leaving the school 25 years ago.
They joined the students to sing and dance in praise. They brought gifts to the altar- humble tokens of appreciation to the Lord for seeing them through a successful event. St. Peter House Annexe won the special interhouse offertory.
Before finally signing out, they donated GHC10,000.00 to the school chapel, bringing to a formal end what had been a sparkling, dazzling homecoming event that had raised the bar in many ways.
The AZs had come, they had seen and they had conquered, both on campus and on social media. The entire fraternity has every reason to be proud of them.
