Begoro Presbyterian SHS honours Ofosu-Ampofo

The Board of Governors and Management of the Begoro Presbyterian Senior High School (SHS), has honoured the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo by naming ‘House Six’ of the school after him.

Christening it ‘Ofosu-Ampofo House’, the move was in recognition of the contribution of the minister towards the development and progress of the school.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the House at the school on Saturday, the Headmistress of the School, Ms Selina Akyaa Danso, explained that the Board of Governors and management of the school decided to honour the minister for his contributions.

She said posterity would know that it pays for one to be committed to one’s duty and responsibilities, saying society must honour the living so that people could follow their exploits.

The school was established in 1972 after the then Women’s Training College was phased out and converted into a secondary school. In 1996, the school moved from its original site to the present site at Koradaso near Begoro.

Ms Danso said it took the intervention of Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, who was then the Fanteakwa District Chief Executive, to intervene to provide the basic things needed to enable the students and teachers move to the new site.

She said in 2009 when the school’s girls dormitory got burnt, the minister, then the Eastern Regional Minister, quickly intervened for the rehabilitation of the dormitory and in addition provided each student, who lost their properties with a trunk, mattress, books, clothing and some personal belongings.

The headmistress said within the last three years, with the intervention of Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo, the school had benefitted from a 20-unit two-storey boys dormitory block, 22-unit two-storey girls dormitory block, six-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities and the rehabilitation of the science resources centre of the school, which had been awarded on contract.

Ms Danso said it was in recognition of these contributions that the Board of Governors of the school decided to depart from the usual Ghanaian practice where people received recognition only after their death, to name house six, ‘Ofosu-Ampofo House’.

She said despite all that government had done for the school, the school still needed an 18-unit classroom block to replace already weak pavilions built by the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), a ten-unit two bedroom staff flat for teachers and a 2,500 capacity dining hall complex.

She explained that if such facilities were provided for the school, the Begoro Presbyterian SHS would be the most preferred school in the Eastern Region.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said within the last three years, government had invested over GH¢72 million in the provision of 563 educational infrastructure in the Eastern Region alone.

He said almost all the SHSs in the Fanteakwa District had benefitted from huge infrastructure, which was geared towards making the school part of the well established boarding schools in the country.

Mr Ososu-Ampofo explained that government investment in schools, especially the SHS, was to expand access to education and improve upon the quality of teaching and learning He said the effort of government would not achieve the desired results if teachers and students did not work hard to justify the investment.

He challenged students of the school to work hard, be discipline and aim high and avoid activities that would threaten their future ambitions.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo took the opportunity to thank the management of the school, the Board of Governors, the PTA and all those who had contributed towards the growth and development of the school and also thanked all who thought it wise to name the house after him.

The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the School, Mr Samuel Amfo, urged the students of the ‘Ofosu-Ampofo House’ to learned from his life style to be good Christians, polite and hard working.

He said the Old Students Association of the school would soon consider conferring on Mr Ofosu-Ampofo honorary member of the Association for his contribution to the school.

Mr Michael Ayivi, who represented the Fanteakwa District Director of Education, expressed the appreciation of the GES for the contribution of Mr Ofosu-Ampofo towards the development of education in the district and recounted that the first computer to be used by the district education office was donated by Mr Ofosu-Ampfo.