The Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA) gathered in Maryland in the USA on the Memorial Day weekend for a 3-day conference, networking, and fundraiser event in the Diaspora as they sought to positively impact the school, the country and execute projects.

The climax of the 3-day conference which sought to also harness the role of MOBA outside Ghana and particularly in North America was on Saturday, May 27, 2017. At 8 PM that day the event was highlighted by a well-attended maiden Dinner Dance Fundraiser at La Fontaine Bleue in Lanham, Maryland.

Attendees of the event which was chaired by Prof. Robert Yaasi was mostly composed of MOBA boys from 1970 to the 2010 year groups who came from all over the US. Three of old boys came from Canada. There were 6 other attendees who flew to the event from Ghana, notably among those were the MOBA Ebusuapayin; Capt. Paul Forjoe and Mr. Charles Cobbina who is national MOBA organizer in Ghana.

MOBA Ebusuapayin Capt. Paul Forjoe in his message for the event “hoped that it will be an annual event and a recollection of experiences at the school”, he thanked all present, from old boys to others who came from other schools in support of the occasion.

Addresses by speakers to the old boys at the event

Prof. Robert Yaasi, the Chairman of the occasion, in his address debunked the assertion among some members of the public that MOBA is living in old glory. In his remarks, he said “the Mfantsipim Old Boy of today is dynamic, energetic, creative, strong and delivers in every field of endeavor. A very competitive fighter.”

He continued, “We are confident that this is not a flash in the pan, but rather a monumental and promising start at fostering camaraderie, fellowship, and unity among all sons (and daughters) of Mfantsipim, in the United States”.



Prof. Yaasi is a seasoned journalist who has worked with almost every major US news house and is credited with spearheading the founding an amalgamation of MOBA in the US and Canada.

Prof. Albert M. Wright in delivering the Keynote address at the event maintained that the 3-day event, particularly the Dinner Dance Fundraiser was “a very noble and praiseworthy cause”, he also appreciated the theme of the maiden event – ‘The Role of Mfantsipim Old Boys in Diaspora’, and said “it is my hope that by the end of the event it will be very clear to us all what that role should be.”

Noted as the Ghanaian engineer and technologist who introduced the Kumasi Ventilated Improved Pit (KVIP), Prof Wright is a Ph.D. degree holder in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and an honorary degree holder from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana.

The keynote speaker praised John Mensah Sarbah, a foundational figure in the then Gold Coast (now Ghana) who played pivotal roles in the founding of Mfantsipim and the political history of Ghana, he then went on personally to suggest that in his opinion, one of the best ways to help a school “would be to help it attract and retain good quality staff. This calls for providing some incentives and training to all levels of staff, including the headmaster, retirees, and the administrative staff.”



Among other things Prof. Wright also called for the provision of support to students, not just needy students but academically excellent ones too, suggesting the introduction of scholarship incentives by MOBA-USA for which students in their first years can compete.

President of MOBA-USA Pratt Abrokwa urged members to extend their friendships to other year groups as well. He also encouraged members to pay their dues and "participate in MOBA-USA activities and programs and contribute towards the MOBA-USA Scholarship program and endowment fund."

There was room for fun and activities for others outside the Mfantsipim fraternity

Activities on the MOBA Conference timetable included: on Friday, May 26th there was happy hour and Networking with Adisadel College (Adisco) from 6 PM at the Mango Cafe, Bladensburg, Maryland (MD). The following Saturday morning saw a MOBA RoundTable Brunch Session from 9 AM to midday at the Cape Coast Restaurant in Beltsville, MD. Sunday Afternoon witnessed a family picnic from 11 AM to 6 PM at the Acredale Park in College Park where the games and activities for family and children occurred.



The Family Picnic on Sunday and recreational sports activities between Adisco old boys and Mfantsipim saw MOBA-USA win the Golf competition by 37:43. Adisco came in stronger in Table Tennis when they defeated MOBA by 2:1 with both schools recording a tie in soccer with a scoreline of 2:2.

It was not an all men affair, the 3-day event also featured representatives from historically prestigious girls schools in Ghana that included MOBA sister school; Wesley Girls high school. Krobo Girls, Saint Louis High School, and Aburi Girls high school were other girls schools represented and notable boys schools such as Prempeh College in Kumasi were represented.

Mfantsipim is a Methodist secondary school in Cape Coast, Ghana, with origins as the first ever secondary school to be established in the then Gold Coast, which is now Ghana. The school nicknamed Kwabotwe was established April 3, 1876. Mfantsipim Old Boys Association USA, Inc (MOBA-USA), is a registered 501 © charity in the United States and all donations to the organization are tax-deductible.