Introducing Michael Ankrah (aka Bullet) ……

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

 I remember starting my primary school at Prestea Anglican Primary School in about 1968. My parents had travelled to the United Kingdom, so I was staying with my great grandmother. However, in 1970 my sister Hetty and I were sent to stay with a family friend, Ms Mary Badu in Akropong, Akwapim. Here, I spent two years at Demonstration Primary School and just when I passed the entrance exam to the middle school in 1972, my parents returned and moved us to Accra. I was admitted at Association International School, Class Five and it was from there I sat the Common Entrance and found myself at Achimota School.

I think my parents chose Achimota School for me because my uncle (Dr David Yankey) was on the School Board. I started off in Form 1D and settled in Gyamfi House with eleven hard young men. I learnt to play cricket, hockey, badminton, volleyball etc. and enjoyed all the games we played. I was already quite conversant with table tennis and ended up playing in almost every house that had a table tennis set up. The inter- house rivalry was most pleasant and I enjoyed it tremendously.

I enjoyed the Golden Jubilee celebration so much and I remember taking part in the mass gymnastics right across from the chapel. Anytime I go to the Aggrey chapel, I still see myself hopping and jumping around the place. I breezed through to Form 5, the O level appeared and disappeared.

I found myself in L6A, but I wasn’t comfortable with Economics and History, so I forced a change to L6M to join my dear paddies, Bobzu (Kwadwo) and Smart (Clarence). Sixth form was another experience. I got grounded in my faith as I moved on with wonderful people like EMiT, Dag, Agyesco (Raymond), Frank Millen, Eddy, Herman, Gre (Gladys), Tiokor (Angela) and others.

Maybe just one confession to make during my Motown years.  I had a serious crush on one of the girls (shall remain nameless), when we both started off in form 1D, but somehow navigated the whole year without uttering a single word to her. I do wonder if she had any idea though…..

Unfortunately for me I missed the Medico boat and ended up at the University of Ghana, Legon reading Crop Science. It took a bit of an adjustment and I almost flopped my FUE. I reorganized myself and bounced back to finish in the top 5% of my class. I graduated with an honours degree in Plant Protection and Entomology.

Can you give us a brief synopsis of your career history?

 I did my national service at the Crop Science Department as a teaching research assistant for two years. I then got employed by the Ministry of Agriculture as Plant Protection Officer in Cape Coast. Two years later, I was promoted and transferred to Takoradi. In 1992 I won a scholarship to pursue a postgraduate degree in plant protection methods in Germany.

On my return in 1994, I was promoted to head the regional office of the department. My major schedule was the training and supervision of plant quarantine services at the harbour and border entry points. I completed several other training programs in Ouagadougou, Cote d’ivoire and Switzerland to further strengthen my hand in delivering my mandate.

Sometime in 1998, I got to know that the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) was looking for agriculturists to support a project they were funding in Asutsuare near the Kpong Dam. I enquired about it and was offered a job to help promote the rice project which had just been initiated. On 1^st July 2000, I started work at the ADB as a project officer and worked on the rice project for two years. Once the inventory system at the project had been stabilized, I decided to look for other challenges and then transferred to operations (mainline banking).

 Can you tell us a bit more about the next phase of your career?

 After taking a few more courses, I was Operations Manager for two branches until 2010. Management had decided to list on the stock exchange but the Nostro accounts were in a mess, so a project was put in place to try to straighten the accounts out. I was transferred to the Nostro reconciliation team on 2^nd January 2012. The work here was quite tedious. It involved matching transactions in the various accounts with our foreign corresponding to ensure that outstanding transactions were real.

The six member team managed to clean up all our Nostro accounts by the end of 2014. By this time, the bank got a software to move the Nostro accounts from a largely manual system to a digital system. Then the bank was passed to proceed with its programme towards the listing. In 2016 after a series of hiccups, ADB was listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange. Currently I am involved in ensuring that we remit to the Revenue Authority all monies due government by way of taxes and levies on due dates as demanded by law.

Introducing Edward Kwaw ….

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

 I am a Tadi boy through and through and attended Chapel Hill Preparatory school, did quite well in the common entrance exams and got accepted into Achimota Secondary School in 1975.

 Achimota was my first choice because my older siblings were there, and my Dad happened to be an Akora as well. The house selection process is a bit of a blur now, but G’berg seemed to be the house of choice at the time because my eldest brother was in that house. I remember the house master (I believe he was called “Ablorz”- Mr Ablordeppey) really selling the “pros” of being in G’berg house to my parents while I wandered around the dorms and went through the process of choosing my perch in one of the junior dormitories upstairs.

It was all a bit strange at the time, being so far away from home as an 11 year old, having to consider pleading with the old folks to take me back home or putting up a brave front and hoping for the best.  I decided on the latter of course. I vaguely remember Ablorz confirming how safe the box rooms were to my parents after I’d deposited my “chop-box” there. My box got broken into a day after the seniors arrived, an interesting prelude to my days in Motown.

My path through Achimota wasn’t very exciting, with the only dramatic part being my having to repeat form 3 because there was this impression that I needed to do better in science.  Friendships broke as a result of that and I had to reckon with being junior to my mates.  That was quite a bitter pill to swallow. My journey continued with a sixth form stint at Achimota Sec school the year after my GC 80 mates had left.

I then went to the University of Science and Technology (UST) now Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), to study Civil Engineering. UST was great because I had a second home there.  Any time I felt I needed to eat good food and had the need to be in a home environment, I would walk to Nana Kegya’s home.  Auntie Bertha, Nana Kegya’s mum of blessed memory, would ask me if I’d like to eat fufu, and the obvious answer would be yes.  Well, Nana is my first cousin, I call her my best cousin and needs no introduction here. My mums’ maiden name is Amonoo-Neizer.  I always looked forward to my next visit knowing very well that I’d be well fed and watered.

Introducing Jacob Obeng aka “Jake Solo” ….

Most of us started Form One together but you joined us in the sixth form.  Why was that?

 I chose to attend secondary school at Prempeh College primarily because my immediate family was in Kumasi, where I was born, and it was at the time one of the best secondary schools in Ghana. However, I am half Ga and my extended family homes were in Accra, and my family used to travel to Accra from Kumasi at least four times a year.  I always wanted to spend more time in Accra, and so made a decision to attend 6^th Form in Accra by the time I started 5^th Form at Prempeh College.  Achimota School was at the time also one of the best secondary schools in Ghana and mixed gender, which would be a different atmosphere and vibe versus the predominantly male Prempeh College.  Achimota School was my first choice for 6^th Form, and I was fortunate enough to gain admission based on my good “O”-Levels examination results.

Tell us more about Jacob?

I was born on 22^nd September, 1963 in Kumasi, where I lived with my four brothers and parents of Ga heritage until relocating to Accra in 1980.  However, I was in the U.S.A. with my immediate family from 1969-1970 while my father was pursuing his PhD degree, and attended elementary school during that one year period.  Most of my primary education was at City of Kumasi Preparatory School following which I attended secondary school Forms 1-5 at Prempeh College, where I successfully received my GCE O-level certificate specialising in Mathematics, Sciences and Geography.  I attended 6^th Form at Achimota School from 1980-1982, where I was in Aggrey House, a science student and received my GCE A-level certificate.  I enrolled at University of Ghana, Legon for one year prior to transferring to Iowa State University (I.S.U.) in the U.S.A. in 1984 and obtained my B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Chemical Engineering, specializing in R&D and processing of advanced high-technology specialty materials.

Mathematics and Applied Sciences have always been my youthful passion, which enabled me to attain my childhood dream to be an engineer.  Most of my engineering career (25+ years) has been as a hands-on product/process engineer in energy storage battery, semiconductor integrated circuits (IC) microchip, and solar energy product manufacturing in U.S.A., Canada, and more recently, in Ghana, where I managed the setup, commissioning and operation of a world-class solar photovoltaic (PV) module factory from 2015-2016.  The highlight so far of my professional engineering career was the two years I spent from 1995-1997 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. working as a wafer fabrication process engineer for Intel, the global leader in microprocessor chip technology.

Dear GC,
A while back, I was invited to be featured in the 1980 Year Group Spotlight.  At the time, I was somewhat inundated or preoccupied with a lot going on and focusing on a full recovery from head surgery to remove a tumour from the base of my skull.  Prayerfully and as a testimony to God’s mercies, healing and love  – my plug in for us to get right with God, I am now able to revisit the invitation and to do so by audio to fulfil my promise.  I am sincerely grateful to David Laryea for honouring my decision of choice of media and his professional touch.

Happy Ruby Anniversary to the Year Group – a perfect symbol of our lasting friendships and bond as Secondary School mates, “…we are brothers [and sisters] and our mother is our school.”

God bless.
Mina

Mina Darfoor
1C, 2A, 3B, 4S3, 5S3
Clark House

Introducing Sekou Nkrumah……

Tell us about your early years and when you first realized you were the progeny of Ghana’s most famous citizen. How did it make you feel and how has it shaped your life over the years?

I don’t remember my first two years in Ghana, so my early years that I remember would be in Cairo, Egypt. Those were the ten years in exile after the 1966 coup. I was academically an average student but in those elementary school days, I was a great sportsman. I loved soccer and at that early age had ambitions of playing professional soccer. But my greatest success was in the 100 meters dash. I became national champion (under 12) with a record of 13.4 seconds! I was also interested in reading adventure stories. When I ran out of them, I would write my own stories using favorite characters.

It was only when we returned to Ghana that I became aware of being Nkrumah’s son. I guess it was because of being in the public spotlight there. So I started reading books about him. I still remember my first book on Nkrumah (‘A myth is broken’) written by one of the guys involved in the 1966 coup, referred to in the book as “operation cold chop”. From that time, I became very objective when it related to Nkrumah’s political life. I saw the good and the bad in him. Although I did not know him as a person and was not emotionally connected to him, I came to appreciate his life struggle. I believe my interest in politics has everything to do with the Legendary Kwame Nkrumah!

What are your memories from your first year at Achimota School?

My memories from my first year at Achimota School are mostly unpleasant. I was completely lost as I could not speak English and was also not very grounded culturally. I remember in class when I was asked to read and could not, kids would laugh at me, which did not help matters. But I was still playing soccer, and I still remember the first game I played for my house (among the form one students). I scored four goals and we won 7-0! Then my brother got sick. They took us out of the boarding school and made us day students. Sadly, that did not help.

You spent some time in Romania during your tertiary education. How was the experience and were there any difficulties in learning the language and adapting to the culture?

I spent eight years in Romania between 1981 to 1989. I was 17 years old when I got there, so I did a lot of growing up in many different ways. The first year, I learnt the language, which although was easy, was a bit of a struggle because of the difficulties in the classroom I experienced earlier in secondary school. Adopting to the culture was not really a problem for many of us as there were many foreign students, and we really stuck together. We studied hard and played hard!

I remember meeting my first wife (a Romanian – she was also a student at the University of Bucharest) during one of our wild parties then! We had a son together in 1985. Romania, under a communist regime, was an interesting experience but we had outlets. We could listen to radio “Free Europe” from Berlin, although the reception was always poor, and we could read Newsweek or Time for alternative views. But in all, I would say I enjoyed Europe a lot, as I had the opportunity to travel across the continent. Among all the European cities I visited, I had great memories in Belgrade. Brussels is also another city I enjoyed.

What are your passions?

My passion is politics. I have been a political activist since the early 1990s when I was introduced to it by my second wife (a Ghanaian). I still remember my first political steps with the MFJ (Movement for Freedom and Justice). We were then fighting to return Ghana to a multi-party system of democracy.

What motivated you to become an author?

As I said earlier, I enjoyed reading from a young age and I guess writing comes naturally. I was also inspired by great authors like James Baldwin and our own Ayi Kwei Armah! I guess years of writing political columns in newspapers in Ghana (Ghanaian Times, Daily Guide, The Statesman, among others) helped with my writing skills.

What is the one dream/ambition that you would like to achieve within the next ten years?

I have two dreams/ ambitions. The first is to write a bestseller (novel). I have already tried my hands with two books; “A Fatherless Child” and “Show Boy”. Both are very personal recollections. I guess that is my style of writing. 

The second ambition is to become a chess IM (International Master). The GM (Grand Master) title is beyond me I think. I learnt how to play chess at 10, when I was taught by a Greek- Egyptian teacher. But unfortunately, I did not continue playing and only got back to active chess when I returned to Ghana in the 1990’s.

After being in the US over the past five years, is there anything that you miss on a day to day basis from Ghana?

I have been living in the US since 2015, but this is not my first time here. When I married my third and current wife (an African American) in 2004, she insisted we live in the US. Those first two years in America were difficult and different. I had just turned 40 and had no previous experience living here in the US. It was not easy adjusting! Of course I very much miss my daughter. She turned 24 this year. She lives in Ghana with her late mother’s family. I also miss my favorite drink (wengeze) LOL!

There are many drinks out there, so can you enlighten us about what makes Wengeze so special?

I first discovered wengeze somewhere in 2015 at a bar in Osu. I love a strong drink, which goes back to my student days in Bucharest when Russian vodka was bought cheap and helped us fight the cold during winter. What makes wengeze special is because it is an herbal drink, what we call “bitters” in Ghana, and it is very strong! LOL!

Some people say you are controversial based on your occasional comments on our WhatsApp platform. Would you say that that is accurate or otherwise?

I guess anyone who speaks his mind freely without fear or favor would be considered controversial. But I am an open book and can take criticism, so I am fine with any tag you give me!

Finally, does a true soccer fan switch teams as you have switched from being a Manchester United fan to a Chelsea supporter in recent years?

Well, I was a Manchester United fan, but the recent poor form of the club drove some of us away. The truth is that I could not see any improvement with the kind of players the club currently has. Manchester United is a big club, and many of the current players are not fit to wear the legendary Red Devils jersey. The sacking of JM (the special one) as manager was the decisive blow for me! I enjoy good soccer, and I think Chelsea has some quality players, so my decision to support Chelsea was not a difficult one. And remember, Lugard House’s color was blue. LOL!

Sekou Nkrumah
1C, 2F, 3F, 4?, 5?
Lugard House

Introducing Michel Bowman Amuah……

What can you tell us about yourself?

I’ve had a thirty three years career spanning telecommunications, financial services, digital media, electronics and high technology Industries. I’m an Electrical and Electronic Systems Engineer, graduated from Kingston University, UK and furthered my education with a postgraduate diploma in Information Systems Design. Surrey, England. I then relocated to the US, where I completed a MA Organizational Management, University of Phoenix and then a MBA Finance, Colorado.

Can you give us a brief synopsis of your career highlights to date?

Practice Leader and Senior Management Executive for Accenture, PLC. World’s largest and most successful Management Consulting company with $40Billion annual revenue and 300,000 employees world wide.

Created and lead the systems engineering department of Time Warner Communications Inc. Was the Chief Network Architect @ MCI WorldCom, then the USA Number two Telecommunications Company and sixth largest in the world by revenue.

Inventor and Patent holder of 103 Worldwide Technology and innovation Patents. Ranked number three innovator world wide and the foremost prolific inventor of African descent.

What motivated you to run for MP in the forthcoming Ghana elections in Dec 2020?

Firstly, because I want to bring visible change to my constituents and secondly, I’m running for MP because it’s time to have persons of integrity, competence and genuine heart for service of the voiceless underrepresented people in parliament fighting for issues that are most important to them.

Wy La Dade Kotopon?

Because they are my people. I was born in Labone and that is part of La Dade Kotopon.

Why as an independent?

Because only an independent candidate with roots in the community can genuinely fight for and be an advocate for the people without compromising their local agenda for a political party’s broader often conflicting interests. Only what’s best for La Dade Kotopon is my focus and agenda!

Why does it matter to the Electorate personally and directly that they have an independent voice in Parliament?

Because I believe the country’s politics has been dominated by just two political parties and it’s time for a change.

How can we still make a positive difference together without being in the ruling party or a minister?

As an MP and the elected representative of the People of La Dade Kotopon, I shall independently

• Secure the financial and material resources needed in the community!
• We will create and directly fund the programs such as youth skills development, local communities capacity building.
• We will support our single mothers with Free Childcare while they train for some skills for a better future.
• We will help our young entrepreneurs with affordable subsidized business support services-such as: Career counselling and basic business math, and how to write proposals.
• We will work to provide our elderly citizens, and the youth, with a clean pollution-free environment, and hire people and pay them well to spray neighborhood to get rid of mosquitoes and insects,
• Work towards an Underground sewage system and get rid of open gutters, and
• Provide clean beaches to relax and have fun!
• And we will create Digital Public Libraries and Job Placement Center where the youth and adults can come and enjoy free Wi-Fi and interview for available jobs.

Have you got any radio jingles supporting your campaign that you might like to share with us?

Aside from the above, do you have any other passions eg. Sports?

I’m a passionate supporter of Accra Great Olympics and Arsenal Football Clubs and also a long suffering fan of the New York Knickerbockers (Knicks) NBA Team

Finally, is there any support you’d like from GC?

I would love it most if all my mates register to and transfer their votes if appropriate to La Dade Kotopon constituency to support my campaign.

Michel Papa Kojo Bowman Amuah
1A, 2D, 3C/D, 4S2, 5S2
Lugard House