OKESS 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPEECH DAY 17TH FEBRUARY, 2007 THEME: “PROMOTING QUALITY EDUCATION THROUGH DISCIPLINE AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT” (SPEECH BY HON. DR. A. AKOTO OSEI, MP AND DEPUTY MINISTER)
Mr. Chairman,
His Excellency, Mr. Hon. John Agyekum Kufuor, President of Ghana,
His Royal Majesty, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Ashantehene,
The Ashanti Regional Minister,
Nananom,
The Guest Speaker,
The Director General of GES,
The Metropolitan Chief Executive,
Hon. Members of Parliament,
Executive Secretary, GetFund Secretariat,
Distinguished Guests,
The Press,
Ladies & Gentleman,
All Protocols Observed;

I am gratefully honoured and privileged, as well as delighted to speak to this august audience, in my capacity as Member of Parliament on the glorious occasion of the 70th Anniversary of Osei Kyeretwie Secondary School.

The celebration of 70 years by OKESS depicts on arduous history of determination and perseverance on the part of the founders, stakeholders and students, past and present.

In the Biblical sense, 70 years marks the life-span of a human being, and thus the attainment of three-score and ten years of OKESS, should indicate full maturity of this royal secondary school.

When the Founder Rev. Ralph Roberts established Asante Collegiate, as the first Secondary School in Kumasi and for that matter in Ashanti Region, in February 1937; little did he or the citizens of Oseikrom and Asanteman realize that it will one day achieve a full life-span of 70 years.

From Amakom Abrotia site, near the famous Jamboree Bar in 1937, to 1965 when it become Government Assisted Secondary School and was relocated to Dichemso and renamed as Osei Kyeretwie (after Nana Sir Osei Ageyman Prempeh II, Otomfuo, the Ashantehene). In 1970, the current Tafo site of about 168-acre land was allocated to enable the school build permanent campus; the school has through 34years operated from both the Dichemso and Tafo campuses. Thus the school has gone through various shades and colours for pretty 70 years.

Mr. Chairman, Your Excellency the President, Ladies and Gentlemen;

There are questions which easily come to mind about OKESS celebrating 70 years today …… let me pose a few minutes:

i. Does OKESS at 70 have any such encouraging and heart warming stories to tell?

ii. What are the special achievements in its 70 years of giving secondary education to the Ghanaian students; and

iii. As a school, does OKESS exist in a serene and disciplined environment to enable learning and development?

Mr. Chairman, These and other challenge faces OKESS, making the Theme “Promoting Quality Education through Discipline and Infrastructural Development” more meaningful and thought- provoking in the socio-economic and political milieu of Ghana today.

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, OKESS is the only School in Ghana that has attained 70 years without maturity and growth expected to associate such age. It lacks the necessary infrastructural development and the disciplined atmosphere to nurture students for a better world career.

OKESS has reached this milestone through dent of hard work, commitment and perseverance on the part of PTA, stakeholders, Teaching staff and students, past and present.

Mr. Chairman, Notwithstanding the above challenges mentioned, OKESS has soldiered and chalked successes in its products in all spheres of social, economic, political and academic pursuits distinguished Chiefs, Lawyers, Doctors, Technocrats and Teachers.

In sports, OKESS can boast of sportsmen and woman who have over the years put Ghana Football and athletics onto the world map.

In athletics, names of Doris Frema Wiredu and Vida Anin immediately come to mind and in football, OKESS can at least, speak with chest out that, all over the 492 Government/Public Secondary Schools in Ghana, it has the versatile Joe Lious of Accra Hearts of Oak; produced two (2) stalwarts in Ghana’s 23-man squad for its maiden appearance of the World Cup – Germany 2006 – John Mensah and Sulley Muntari.

Mr. Chairman, Touching on the theme for the anniversary: On my election as MP for the constituency, I have made efforts at assisting in the provision of certain essential infrastructure in the School campus to ensure discipline on the part of students (who may play truancy) due to the unfenced school compound; and neighbours and pedestrians who loiter and use the school campus as pass-way.

When I visited the school in 2005, I was not happy about this wanton disregard for serenity at the school to promote learning and discipline. I therefore instructed for a barb-wired fencing for the school’s 168 acre campus (valued over hundred of million) – due to the legal issues relating to the land ownership.

Mr. Chairman I have provided street lights, poles and accessories valued at about ¢80 million for the school campus lighting, when a students was bitten by snake in the night and died.

In furtherance to efforts to promote quality education at OKESS, a scholarship Scheme has been instituted for ‘needy and brilliant’ students who are residents in this constituency, since 2005. So far, over ¢30 million has been offered from my MP’s share of DACF.

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, The anniversary theme falls in line with the NPP Government’s medium and long term policies, under the able leadership of H.E. Mr. J.A. Kufuor, the President of the Republic; in so far as the achievements of the GPRS II, the attainment of middle-income status and MDGs by 2015; are concerned.

In the light of these policies and directives, Government, through GETFUND and MOESS, is building concrete infrastructural overheads at the 2nd Cycle levels; upgrading selected schools in the various regions of Ghana, including Ashanti Region. It is my fervent hope hat the policies of Government in enhancing the quality of the nation’s human resources, will be very soon cover OKESS, so that its pioneering status and achievement of 70 years will commensurate with it qualitative education of students and redevelopment of the necessary infrastructure in the school.

Mr. Chairman, Your Excellency the President, Your Royal Majesty, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me end by paying glowing tribute to the Founding Fathers of OKESS, the efforts made by both the teaching and on-teaching staff, the school Board, PTA, Old Students for their immense contribution towards achieving prominence in both academic and extra-curricula events, like sports (which OKESS is well noted, ibid).

In the next 5 years, the school will gather to celebrate its diamond Jubilee and the good, visionary and pragmatic leadership of H.E. Mr. Kufuor would ensure that the sound and concrete policies towards infrastructural developments in our Secondary Schools will definitely see OKESS in a new image and attain the desires of founding the fathers of this school.

Every effort will not be spared from the office of the MP towards the attainment of full growth of this school.

I thank you all and may the Good Lord direct our footsteps towards achieving our goals for OKESS and quality education in Ghana as a whole. Long live quality education and development;

Long live OKESS,
Long live Ghana.
God bless us all.