As a result of the present condition of the Achimota school, some young Ghanaians may be nursing the feeling that this landmark school never produced outstanding individuals in the society. They may also be thinking that for one to get good education and become an important personality, he or she must attend one of Ghana’s elite schools.
Most of the times, students of this public school feel inferior to their counterparts in the expensive private schools; thinking that they are less privileged to find themselves in such a school and are also limited when it comes to the height or success they will attain in the society in the future.
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This is completely a false impression as records have shown that this despised school has really produced beacons and icons of notable history in Ghana. The school has educated many African leaders, including Kwame Nkrumah, Edward Akufo-Addo, Jerry John Rawlings, and John Evans Atta Mills, all of whom were former Heads of State of Ghana. Even the immediate past President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, is also an alumnus of Achimota School. Aside these former Heads of States, here are other very successful and popular Ghanaians who passed out from Achimota School:
He was the Former C. E.O of Kumasi Asante Kotoko FC. Herbert Mensah is a self-made, highly successful businessman who has developed and produced some of the biggest and most notable media extravaganzas in Ghana.
President and Founder of Ashesi University, a non-profit institution in Ghana which has brought tremendous innovation to Ghana’s higher education.
The Godfather of hiplife music, and has contributed a lot to the development of this unique musiv genre in Ghana’s capital, Accra.
Journalist, two-time winner of Journalist of the Year Award and Ghana’s former correspondent for the BBC and Reuters.
He is the British MP, Parliamentary under Secretary to David Cameron.
The daughter of Ghana’s first president. Kwame Nkruma. She is the First Female Chairman of the C. P.P and Former Member of Parliament for the Jomoro Constituency.
He was a Former Ghanaian Ambassador to the U. S.A and later Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development (PSD) and the Presidential Special Initiatives (PSI), under the government of former President John Kufuor. He is Trade Minister under the Akufo-Addo led NPP administration.
Renowned doctor and politician. He is currently the richest man in Ghana. He is a brother to a former president of Ghana, Dr. John Kuffuor who also attended the Achimota school.
Writer and author of The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born. Armah is widely considered one of the most important African writers to have emerged in the post-colonial period.
Poet, teacher, and diplomat. Though late now, he lives on in the numerous literary works he left behind.
Renowned musician and composer. Composer of “Yen Ara Asase Ni”. Though he is long dead, his works and impact in music lives on.
Achimota School is a co-educational boarding school located at Achimota in Greater Accra Region, Ghana. The which was formerly known as Prince of Wales College and School was founded in 1924 by Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, Dr. James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey and Rev. Alexander (Alec) Garden Fraser. It was formally opened in 1927 by Sir Frederick, then Governor of the British Gold Coast colony.
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The motto of the school is Ut Omnes Unum Sint meaning “That all may be one”, a reference to the founders’ expressed philosophy in the context of school life, there should be a synergy of black and white, male and female – everyone should integrate for the good of all.
Describing the piano-key logo of the school then, he said, “You can play a tune of sorts on the black keys only; and you can play a tune of sorts on the white keys only; but for perfect harmony, you must use both the black and the white keys”. The school is currently nicknamed Motown, and an alumnus/alumna of Achimota is known as an “Akora”.
In addition to these prominent Ghanaian Achimota alumni, first president of The Gambia, Dawda Jawara and long time incumbent president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe are also said to have attended the school.
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