Dr Frimpong's paper on the new house debate accomplished two objectives. It rightly denounced the demonization of Santase Community College (Sanco) and argued forcefully about recognition of African culture.

Some degree of rivalry can yield grand results. Stiff competition from Opoku Ware School has been an enduring source of incentive for Prempeh College to excel. There are houses named after Prempeh at Osei Tutu, Amass and several other campuses in Ghana. Joe Passarsa must understand that Owass' St. Matthew, St. Paul and St. James may be annoying but so are Guggisberg, Pearson and Butler. Enter the debate on culture. I learned a few months ago that the loop that links Santase Main Road with Sofoline Circle is called Western Bypass. Western Bypass. An African-American might ask: Western Who?

Lake Victoria. I like how Omanni Kwaku argues. Dr. Frempong is a friend of my oldest brother Philip (Akora '65, another Ancient, a diplomat in Angola). Lake Victoria. I always wonder why the Baganda, Tutsi, Masai and others dedicated such indispensal historical site to a queenmother who hails from some 10,000 miles away. Then again we have Appean Way on the campus of the Goil Filling Station Polytechnic (Gas Poly) in Ashanti Region. Ashanti, you know that's how the Dutch, British and Portuguese pronounced Asante in The Gold Coast. Gold Coast brings to mind Cape Coast. Then Holy Child. Arch Bishop Porter Girls. Bishop Herman. What happened to Kwasi Sarpong?

In Kumasi where the new African renaissance unravels, students lead the cultural awareness movement. Teenagers including Kwaku Frempong '66 and Owusu A.B. '74 dump names like Abednego, Banks, Derrick, Eric in favor of Kofi, kwasi, Kwadwo, Kwame. A year before the CIA-engineered coup that toppled Francis Nkrumah, I was given one of those names people call Christian. Twenty-four years later, I went to a circuit court by the Potomac River in Virginia to drop it. Which is more Christian: George vs. Yaw? Tell me: Solomon (after a man with many wives) and Kwaku (after Wednesday)? What is more Christian than naming a baby after something God has created - a day? Indeed it is the naming of African kids Brittany, Jenivive and Francois that is unChristian.

Amanfoo,

This is Joe Passarsa. We are still discussing in "Aburokyire" whilst the foundation of the proposed Opoku Ware House has already been laid!! I am now an "Abasiriwa", so I always have to join in a little bit later.

By the way, were we concerned about Prof. Dr. Dada Amin´s inability to have good command over the colonial language or his stupidity by not speaking in Swahili or both or his cruelty to the people of Uganda? I talked to his lovely son Mr. Mwanga Amin and he said his father was happy about the attention we still give to him. Mwanga´s father wished Amanfoo; " Long sit Amanfoo over Ghana and be good like my Makarere in Kampala".

The ninth house issue is almost like the Amin debate. Do we need a ninth house? Does Prempeh College need a ninth but not Opoku Ware House? Do we need more classrooms first or classrooms and a ninth house? We should try to answer these questions and try to advise the responsible Amanfoo at Home.

In Joe Passarsa´s opinion, Prempeh College needs a ninth house. Why? Until the mid-nineties the Form Four Leaving Certificate Examinations (Standard Seven Exams) and the Common Entrance Examinations prevented a lot of pupils from entering secondary schools. Most of them failed the exams. Agyaba Passarsa sat for two times before he got the chance of entering Sofoline, what a great thing, making "atodwe" and at the same time wishing to learn like the Dada Mmas. The present Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) which is taken at the Junior Secondary Three (JSS 3) seldom selects pupils for the Senior Secondary School (SSS). The intake of students into the SSS is very high at the moment in Ghana. Almost all secondary schools in the country are facing this problem, large number of students and fewer classrooms and dormitories plus teachers whose private businesses are more important than teaching.

Dr. Dr. Flt. Lt. Rawlings´ educational reform was the implementation of the results of the Rev. Dr. N. K. Dzobo´s Committee in 1972. The New Structure and Content of Education for Ghana was amended by the Watson Committee in 1974. It was implemented during the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP). To cut costs down during the implementation in the ´90s, the World Bank advised Ghana to have larger classes and shared facilities (Science Resource Centres). There are classes with up to 45 pupils or students in Ghana at the moment. In the case of Sofoline, the lecture theatre is serving as a Science Research Centre (SRC) and a computer pool. A new two storey classroom block is under way between Serwah House and the lecture theatre to ease the situation.

Discipline and the level of "sylla" are at their lowest ebb at Sofoline. Why? Because of lack of enough accommodation facilities. There are no more "Boarding Only" schools in Ghana but the fewer day students a school has, the higher the discipline and sylla levels. In the case of Prempeh College, "No master can control a student in town because it is embarrassing always to ask day students for their exeats. Because of this, most of the boarding students are always in town. It is not forbidden to have a boarding only institutions, so a new house may solve part of these problems.

If "YES" to the ninth House, should it then be called Opoku Ware House? I Obiri-Yeboah Mensah will say "YES". I want to tell you a story that everybody can also read at our website under "the History of Prempeh College".

Once upon a time, there was an Asante King who sent his nephew who was a "SURVEYOR" to look for the best site for a famous College. This Surveyor was hotly confronted by the Gold Coast "Abongo Boys" who had returned from the world war two. The ex-servicemen asked him; "hey! Sofeya what are you doing down there? The Papa Sofeya replied; "my Uncle, the King of Asante wants to build a College which should produce only the best intelligent men for this country and the whole world". The Abongo Boys left him in peace after hearing this. This is the end of the Anansesem.

The Asante King was Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II and the nephew (Surveyor) is Mr. Mathew Opoku, the present Asantehene Otumfuo Opoku Ware II. The present Asantehene attended Adisadel College at Cape Coast and as such is a Santaclausian. I think he might have attended Prempeh College if it existed at the right time for him to do so. When he had the chance of sending his son to a secondary school, that secondary school at Santasi has already been founded but his son went to PREMPEH COLLEGE. He is Osei Tutu Poku, the present Akyempemhene. He was in OT House and was an ASP at Sofoline. Otumfuo Opoku Ware II also served the Board of Directors of Prempeh College for quite a long time. As the Asantehene, he has saved a lot of chaos in the School by serving as an ombudsman. During the last days of Mr. M. K. Atiemo, he sent "Obofoo" to cool the students down.

Last three weeks, I talked to Mr. Yaw Manu Sarpong, former Deputy Governor of Bank of Ghana and the President of the Jubilee Committee about the Opoku Ware House. He said some of the Amanfoo in Kumasi said "BIG NO" to it but later, after discussions they understood and accepted the ninth Opoku Ware House. The ninth house is going to be named after OTUMFUO OPOKU WARE II AND NOT AFTER OPOKU WARE SECONDARY SCHOOL.

Now to that secondary school at Santasi. The secondary school at Santasi was founded by some Catholic Catechists in the 1950s. They named it after Opoku Ware I, who reigned in the 19th Century because both Kings in this century were King Prempehs. I think they just copied Sofoline by naming their secondary school after an Asantehene. The Santasi cowboys always try to copy Sofoline but we have never copied them. The cowboys from the Opoku Ware Secondary School (Opusco) saw their peers from the hinterland. They always made "palaver" with their fellow secondary schools like Mighty Japass, Amass, Great Nkatoatico, Supreme Omess, Super Kass, Okess, Boss, Nedss, Dass and the rest. It was their headmaster in the 70s, Mr. Owusu Donkor (Bush Meat), who advised them not to fight with these schools again. If they should fight, then with big institutions like Prempeh College. To raise their standards, they had to make palaver with Prempeh. Mr. Owusu Donkor, knowing that Prempeh is always the best, never sent his children to the Martyrs of Uganda Preparatory School, which is on the Opuscan campus but rather sent all his children to Prempeh Primary. Again it was "Bush Meat" who omitted the "secondary" in the Opoku Ware Secondary School and made it: Opoku Ware School (Owass). The Santasi Cowboys have no house bearing a local name. They have; St. John, St, James, St, Peter, St. Paul and the rest. Everything na saint saint saint!!!

The present Asantehene is an Anglican because of his Adisadel background. He has nothing in common with the Opoku Ware Secondary School at Santasi. As Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Otumfuo Opoku Ware Silver Jubilee Foundation, Mr. Yaw Manu Sarpong said he has already informed Otumfuo about the ninth house and Nana was happy about having something at Sofoline to be named after him. Also the three sons of Mr. Yaw Manu Sarpong, Kofi, Kwadwo and Yaw also attended Sofoline.

We can still debate on this issue, but please let us do away with our teenager mentalities and stop using insults in some of our writings. This house name issue is very delicate, so we shouldn´t let some Dignitaries and Nananom feel insulted at home. Mano asi!!!

Obiri-Yeboah Mensah

Amanfoo, Joe Passarsa nie!! Ralph Minter hia mmoa. Yen nyinaa da Onua Minter ase wo ne nkaebo no mu. Npaninfoo se,"Se okwabranee twa asuo Pra a yema no amo". Onua Minter, "Obanyansafoo, yebu no be, na yenka no asem"! Nananon se; "Yeye nea ehia ansa ana yaye nea efata", eno nti, w´sem no ho mmuae nie!!

To Paragraph 1:

The incomplete classroom building is being built by the ministry of education and not the Old Boys Association. We lack maintence culture in Africa but your so-called "dirty" buildings, I have assured, will be "washed" before maybe you visit Sofoline next year. The school needs a new house and "washing" or painting the "dirty" ones. One point to console your heart; all the glass windows at the back of all the houses have been replced with shutters and all dormitories at Sofoline have mosquito-proof nets.

To Paragraph 2:

When the ninth house is finished in twenty years, there would still be1000 to 1500 students living off campus (more than 800 to 900) because the population would be around 27 000 000. Is it not better to start building the ninth house now if it takes 20 years to build?? Again, the new classroom building is being built by the ministry of education.

To Paragraph 3:

I agree with you, there are a lot of untouched problems at Sofoline. Shouldn´t we start now solving them one by one? Can´t the ninth house be the first problem to be solved? Yes Africans are pprone to destroying to parity as you said. The "perfectly good old system" of yours was nothing less than europeanizing the African. Our dear Sofoline was and is a europeanisation camp. W e are now Europeans than Africans. We suit better in the whitman´s society than our own in Ghana. At the introduction of the "good old system", was it known to the people it was meant for? Yes, that Ghana guy lost his scholarship because the reformed education system is still in crises. There is no co-ordination between the tertiary and the pre-university levels. One of the aims was to make it possible for the greater part of students to work after the senior secondary. The World Bank argued that the mojority of the best "able-bodied" citizens of a nation are not graduates. All these were tricks that north uses to bully the south.

To Paragraph 4:

The ninth house is not being built to honour the ceremony but rather to accommodate students at Prempeh College. Now Onua Minter suggests that we use the classroom under construction or the new library to honour the ceremony. Please mr. Minter, wake up. Now you agree taht we can use a library which took 20 years to be built to boast ourselves?? And a classroom block which still has 19 years to be finished too?? More secondary schools are needed but but according to the Ghana Government, it is the local people who should start building the schools. The Government comes in when the local people have their part.

The founders of Sofoline were not fools to have such a large large. They thought for the future. They thought that one day one time there will be the need to make expanssions.

Máno asi, mo besan ate menka bio!! Eye me,

Dear Amanfoo

I have been following and participating in most of the discussions here from the naked girls to the ninth house and what I have noticed is that in all of them, there are two major groups of thought. One group, the Seamans who I will refer to as conservatives. They, like every Ghanian (except of course JJ) realize that things are not going on well in Ghana and also at Prempeh. They however feel that we should accept decisions made by the folks at home because they are competent and that we should not be questioning too much, decisions that the older folk at home make. I see them as traditionalists who believe very strongly in the ideas and practices that we have been taught in Ghana.

The other group that I think I belong to, I will call the progressives.(it sounds better than liberals). We also realize that things are not going on well in Ghana but we realize that there needs to be very significant changes in the way we do lots of things. I might be at the extreme of this group because I believe that we have to question most of the things that we have been brought up to accept. I do not mean that we have to change everything but we have to question them and see whether they are relevant and useful in the society that we live in now. Some of them might have served us very well in the past but we have to question whether they will help us get to where we want to get to as a society.

I think there are a lot of people in the middle of these two groups. I also see these conflicting views dominating discussions about the future of Ghana and also Prempeh. I do respect the "conservatives" opinion even though I do not agree with most of their views, and I hope that they respect ours. I think that having different opinions is very healthy, and that is what democracy is about.

About the ninth house, whether we like it or not, the sod has been cut, the house has been named and it doesnt seem like there is much that we can do to stop it. That however does not stop us from discussing the merits of such a project. From the information that I have gathered from discussions going on, Prempeh College has a lot of needs but extremely scarce resources. We cannot fulfill all our needs. We therefore have to be very careful when we are selecting a project to spend our scarce resources on. We need more dormitories we need more classrooms. Students are using common rooms as classrooms, we have a classroom block that is uncompleted. We do not have enough money to fund both projects. History indicates that it took us over twenty years to build a library. It has taken several years to build an uncompleted classroom block. It will most likely take us several years to build an uncompleted house. Then we will have an uncompleted house, an uncompleted classroom block and also an uncompleted whatever we decide to build next for our seventy fifth anniversary.

Amanfoo, When will we ever learn from our past? For those of you who have wives and children, you are aware that bringing forth a child requires much commitment from the parents and the decision making process begins long before the baby is born. Parents must cut their coats according to their size. From the very minute you learn your wife is pregnant, you start preparing for the road ahead. You may have to move into a new home, if possible, especially if your wife and yourself are sharing a one room. You have to start buying the baby's clothes, its bed and other necessities. In Ghana, you may even have to invite the unborn baby's grandmother from "akuraasi" to nurture the child when it finally arrives. You may also have to ask grandma to bring with her some foodstuff for mankani fufuo ne abenkwan, especially the "abedru" that new mothers eat in Ghana. All these are planned sometimes even before the decision to make a baby is carried out.

Now, consider this new Opoku Ware House that is being built at Sofoline. Nobody stopped to consider that when this unneeded house is completed, the Dining Hall may have to be extended. This time, they may have to extend to correspond with the entire length of OT House. Or they may even bring it to where the "trunk and chop box" bungalows are. Osae Assemnly hall, originally built for 800 students, is now filled with 2000. With this new house coming up, I bet they will have to either extend the Assembly hall or let students stand on the far away Appean Way to listen to speeches at assembly. What will they do if we have extra guests, like we used to during carols nights?

Did anybody stop to think that we will need a classroom block? Further, we will need beds for this new House, as well as chairs for the classroom block.

For Goodness sake, we have a new library completed. No books in it. It began around 1974 and it was completed in 1996. We have began building a new classroom block. When this classroom is completed in the year 2018, there will be no chairs in it either. And hopefully, when the Opoku Ware House is finished somewhere around 2025 A.D., there will be no beds in it.

Given this sad correlation, Amanfoo, why can't we use the money we have to fulfill immediate goals and not 20 year projects. Why can't we spend the money for O. Ware House on finishing up the classroom block. For those of you who haven't seen the Joe Passarsa pictures at our website, you need to. Common rooms are being used as classrooms. Without a classroom, students from the OWARE House will utilize all 8 Common Rooms. And as far as I know, Serwah's Common Room and its urinal are right next to each other. Imagine having your son take lessons in such an environment. As for OT's Common Room, it can not even be considered. And about this name Opoku Ware House, with all due respect to our beloved King, why can't we call it KINGS HOUSE? This will reflect all Ashanti Kings, from the past, present and the future. It will also reflect Sofolinehene, South Suntresohene, Kwadasohene, Bantamahene, Rivolihene, Kejetiahene, Adumhene, Adoatohene, Ejisuhene, Kumawuhene, Mamponghene, Dwabenhene, and so on. Why should Prempeh boys go to the Kumasi Sports staduim, get stoned and beat up physically by these indisciplined OWASS boys and come back home to sleep in OWASS House? Is anybody thinking? Last year, prempeh lost to OWASS in the final of the National Science & Math Quiz. These same Owareans drove their bus to our campus, uninvited, to celebrate right in front of Ramseyer House. next time they wouldn't have to choose Ramseyer. they will just walk right up to OWASS House.

And why have only 4 people spoken on this issue, namely, Anthony Asare, Ralph Minter, F.Y Berkoh (the man's great sense of humor is only surpassed by Comedy's great, Joe Passarsa). Herein lies a school that has produced some of the world's best brains, and certainly Ghana's best. Yet we continue to make one bad decision after another. When, if ever, will we learn from our mistakes. The 20 year library project has just been forgotten. When?

I am writing to make a slight comment on what Edmund Kyei wrote. I somewhat disagree with his desire to discourage peole from contributing to the Amanfoo fund. Infact as soon as I finished reading his comment, with every respect to Edmund, for whatever reason, I straight away questioned his loyalty, enthusiasm and commitment to this great school which actually made him what he is today, if only he will be honest with himself.

My first correction for Edmund is that, as far as Prempeh College is concerned, his phrase "cut your coat according to your size" wouldn't work. We all know that it should rather be "to cut their coats according to the available material". Because the size of Prempeh is too big, but with the absence of funds or resources in general, then we can no longer cut according to the size. Taken Edmund's comments into consideration, it sounds a total lack of respect for the people who strategically planned and came out with the decision to build a new house. I personally believe that these people meant well. It will therefore be unfair on Edmund's part to sit in Europe and to totally condenm such a decision to build the Opoku Ware House. How could Edmund argue quite blindly that because there tend to be occasional competition between Prempeh and Opoku Ware Secondary school, then there is no need for the new house to be called Opoku Ware. I do agree that it could had been better if the new house was named Kings House. Yes, but that was only his expressed opinion.

How many of us would have turned down the offer if the new house was to be named after them? Edmund claims to be a product of OT house, but even forgot that there is also Osei Tutu Secondary School who in 1980 did beat Prempeh College at the stadium during interco with their powerful samanmo medley "krokro-hinko, Obaa Yaa krokro-hinko". That year Tozani, with enormous effort came out with 'menya Prempeh a anka meko, nanso adi afa me kon ho'. Yes every one enjoyed Prempeh's composition for that year, but we were beaten to it by OT. This didn't mean that the name OT House was to be changed. How could Edmund choose such a trivial reason for which he disapproves of the name given to the new house.

Yes the planning committee should have cut Prempeh's coats coat according to the scarce, limited or even none existing material. I agree with Edmund that if there aren't enough class rooms and students are presently using common rooms as class rooms, then why the hell are they trying to create more sleeping spaces to accommodate more people, knowing very well that students have no classrooms? Please, let's not kick from our hips or jump the gun. I personally believe that these people know what they are doing and they've got their game plan. Let's wait to see their attempts failed before we decide to pull out our knives to criticise, but the project isn't even off the ground yet, and here we are jumping into conclusions or prejudging. The mere fact that we are living abroad does not make us more intelligent or sensible than the rest of the Amanfoo living in Ghana. If those still in Ghana had the slightest doubt that the idea of a new house wasn't ideal, I bet they would have certainly intervened even far before we those abroad heard about it. I believe as much as we love mother Prempeh, so does everyone who attended the school. Of course, as a saying goes, "in every twelve desciples, there is always a Judas" There will certainly be some few, small, 'pice' and minute minority ( I need to be careful, because hardly does anybody who went to Mighty Prempeh College becomes a social drop-out, because of the nature of our unique socio-cultural upbringing by Mother Prempeh) who will be rebelious and therefore try to oppose blindly to any planned cohesive activities that are organised in aid of the school.

Please Edmund, don't try to be what you are not. We all know this fact because we all tasted the loving unity, oneness and togetherness that mother Prempeh created among her siblings.

Never mind Edmund, your sins have been forgiven for shamelessly speaking your mind negatively world-wide to advise people not to contribute to support your elderly mother Prempeh. Listen, if you wouldn't contribute Edmund, then please do us a favour. Out of annoyance, go crazy and spitefully donate the highest amount ever to the Prempeh fund. I'm only joking, but please try to be sensible and never discourage any body of contributing in any way or by any means. We all know that times are harder for the Ministry of Education in Ghana. If only we've got some few pence to spare, why not? Lets just donate to Prempeh College. One way or the other, the money could be used to do whatever. So long as it was spent on any Prempeh project, I suppose that's fine.

Also let's be sensitive toward the people both at home and abroad who have devoted their precious times whether they are paid by the school or not to help to maitain the wellfare of the school during such difficult times. It is okay for us to sit in our individial quarters abroad and to criticise their decisions, but most times we tend not to take into consideration the decision making processes and the difficulties involved in such exercises. Let's all do our best to help out. Even if you can not contribute at this moment for whatever reason, just support with some words of encouragement or social graces to those who have something to spare.

Edmund, I don't think you meant any harm. You were only expressing your opinion about how the plannimng could have been shaped in another way. Of course there are so many ways of skinning a cat and they felt at that moment that building a new house was the best. Well lets support them, then in future we all come in with our collective ideas and they will then again prioritise them and choose the best of the lot. Who knows? Edmund in future yours may be chosen, and I bet you will be proud for making such a tremendious decision on the behalf of that Great and the only college in Ghana. Don't forget. Words are powerful and dangerous. So Edmund, mind how you use them. I don't intend to patronise or to advise you, but I'm only suggesting that live by example and people who see you as their hero will follow suit and therefore Edmund swallow your pride and contribute. I don't know how old you are or whether you have plans to have a son, but if only you appreciate and admire the knowledge and experience that you gained from Prempeh College and you are so proud in yourself to the extent that you want your son to follow your foot steps and attend that same Great and Mighty college that you attended, then now is the time for you to make your son's dreams come true by helping to help Prempeh College keep running. I don't mean you and only you, but you little collective contributions can create a heep. That's all I have to say and people who can identify with what I am saying can refrain from their resistant postures and decide to turn a new leaf to begin contributing.

Thank you all. I am certainly proud to belong to such a unique and exclusive clud called "AMANFOO".

I highly commend those whose have devoted their time to this worthy course. Mr. Donkor, I strongly believe that Mr. Kyei has the right to express his opinion in the forum. He has provided information that I had no knowledge of and if he is going to donate to the fund and has some reservations about its main purpose, I believe somebody should spend time and analyse things for Mr. Kyei. In context, Mr. Kyei raises some issues worth looking into. However, it may be too late to change plans. Meanwhile, the whole planning was done hastily without first soliciting information from people who have knowledge about the conditions at Prempeh. I have no clue as to the conditions at Prempeh therefore, I welcome all suggestions for evaluation. Inasmuch as some members of the crowd raise up issues, I will weigh them up and we all deserve that chance. This is what makes us all better planners. Even though, I will commit to the fund, I certainly want to consider how much will be a waste and how much will be put to proper use. Nonetheless they are all good issues but we cannot build a roof without a foundation. With due respect, I am not disputing anyone's idea but Gosh! it makes sense to build classrooms before houses to accomodate students.

Also, I will like to see the use of our common rooms for what they were. Where do students sit to discuss issues with their families? Anyway, I do not intend to disagree or agree because I have no information about Prempeh and so are most Amanfoo. Initially, we should have updated our forum with the conditions at Prempeh, tabulated the issues by order of importance and voted on them .

Again, the planning was hastily done as such I have sat back and reviewed all the statements, arguments and questions posted daily to reinforce my commitment. Mr. Kyei's questions should have been addressed by the committee or whoever knows the answers to his questions. If we don't have answers to his questions then he has the right to be frustrated and expressly so. On the otherhand the ones that do should please talk to Mr. Kyei.

Since I lack knowledge about the current conditions at Prempeh and the issues at hand, I could neither answer nor criticise him. If you Mr. Donkor have answers to his questions please answer them rather than create an atmosphere of criticism. We have to remember that no one is right about anything, but as adults we can have a dynamic and constructive engagement about pending issues. I will donate, but I am a sleeper waiting to learn more about the school and make sure my money, even if its a penny will be used for a worthy project. I have planned before this Website was even created to donate a computer with most medical and natural science software etc. Regardless of the project, I will donate but maybe not as much as I would have had, had it been something that most agreed upon. All the plans are worthwhile but some are more worthwhile than others. What are they? Think about starting a school in your own neighborhood (British --neighbourhood)and draw up a plan, sleep over it and review it a couple of times. You will find more errors or more ideas that are worth updating. In the final analysis, you will put out a better plan than your first draft. So please lets keep the criticism down and give all Amanfoo the opportunity to feed us information or make suggestions, even the "fool" has a story and forum to talk and should be given the opportunity to express his views; Sometimes they make the most sense and once a while they can surprise us with good ideas unworthy of a fool. Yes we are narrow minded sometimes. If one person disagrees, the ones who agree have the burden and responsibilty of convincing but not to criticise him. Inquiring minds want to know. Lets get our frustrations out, but whatever your reason please Mr. Kyei do the best you can to help even if paying back for one plate of "Kekee and beans"--Smile my friends this is not the end of the world. Bless you all. I do not intend to tread on anyones toes, if I have accept my sincere apology and I stand corrected.

Signed: "Alphonso"

Snr. Joe Nsiah recently wrote from Accra that there is going to be a new house at Prempeh and it will be called Opoku Ware House. Hmmm.

I am confused as to why we need a new house. Those who have visited the campus in recent years can attest to the fact that the current ones are not being properly maintained. Why can't we spend the money to keep those in good condition? By the way, who is paying for the new house? I hope it is not going to be another 20 year project like the current library.

From the day I learned about Prempeh College I also knew that the name Opoku Ware were fighting words on its campus and in the vocabulary of its alumni. So why this name on our campus now? Just like our sister-school the next thing we know the kids in that house will be, "afflicted with a malady of in-discipline", to once again quote Mr. Asare-Kwaa(Alfa-zari). Moreover, in an earlier piece I alluded to our similarities to the Italians. Yet I do not know of any monuments to Emperor Nero, the guy who fiddled while Rome burned. Remember Kumasi in the first few years of the PNDC? Let us hope that the naming thing is not a done deal. Some of us would also like to know the selection criteria and the accomplishments that merit such an honor? If anything we should let posterity honor certain positions. Stupid me, I should have known that we have a Sankara Circle, named after "the guy who did so much for the people of Burkina Faso and humanity". Surely, Ako-Adjei is less deserving.

This piece is in response to Francis Yaw Berkoh Nketia's on "a new house at Prempeh?" There are some issues that need to be considered. First of all, the name of a "house" is something the members of the "house" cherish. Secondly, the rivalry between Prempeh and Owass can create some "turmoil" and an unhealthy atmosphere within Prempeh because of the Opoku Ware House.

Thirdly, how would the supporters of Hearts of Oaks feel if they have to play in a new sports stadium named after Asante Kotoko? The fourth issue is that the money for the ninth house can be used for the much-needed repairs and supplies; it is like having a ninth child in a "middle class home" just because you want to name that child after the head of the family (abusua payen, excuse my spelling).

The problems of Prempeh, as interpreted from the reports of Joe Passarsa and Obiri Yeboah Mensah, are not lack of houses but rather lack of learning facilities and amenities. Let us concentrate on substance. To touch on another issue, why was the old secondary school system changed? It was not broke. As a former secondary school teacher here in the states, I find it humorously absurd to observe that (the British system) a system that had proven itself to be a very good one is being replaced by (I have no idea) one that nobody knew anything about (I guess we know now). If there ever were arguments in favor of universal participation, this is one of them. I hope we get involved in issues that affect us all. To be able to effect changes in the school systems and the nation as a whole, the passive participation and accountability must change in favor of intense involvement and vigilant oversight. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Dear Anthony,

In all fairness to the Global Fund; the fund is a first attempt ever to have an external financial muscle to help Prempeh and it is not subject to the control of the school to use as it pleases.

The reason for the Fund is to give amanfoo participation in helping the school in specific ways rather than being bystanders all the time to what goes on in the school. So please, let's separate the Fund from this issue. I believe the issue is an interesting one and ...the more we have some kind of leverage with the school as old boys, the more the school is going to feel obligated to listen to our opinion on this issue. Remember what Sackey said when we first approached him about conditions at the school..."you come from america and make promises to help us and we never hear from you". We want to change that such that we, as a collective brotherhood of Amanfoo, will have some leverage and not be cut out of the process of taking care of the school.

Now let the discussion continue...............Azow ya!