Mfantsipim School and the founding of Ghana National College – Egbert Faibille Jnr writes
On the occasion of the 150th Anniversary of Mfantsipim School, it is imperative that we share one significant impact of that School on the independence struggle of the Gold Coast.
The record stands that in the wake of the Christiansborg Cross-Roads Shootings on 28th February, 1948, then Gold Coast Governor, Gerald Creasy, ordered a crackdown. That resulted in the arrests of 5 of the Big Six- J.B. Danquah, Ako Adjei, Edward Akufo-Addo, William Ofori Atta, and Emmanuel Obetsebi Lamptey in Accra on suspicion of complicity in the protest march of the ex-servicemen. They were arrested in the immediate aftermath of the disturbances and detained.
The other member of the United Gold Coast Convention's (UGCC) Working Committee, Kwame Nkrumah, was initially fortunate to escape arrest because he had been requested by the others named above to rush to the UGCC's Saltpond offices to secure it and their documents.
Kwame Nkrumah proceeded to Saltpond and, after carrying out the tasks assigned to him, went into hiding in Cape Coast. The Colonial Police took almost 14 days to locate Kwame Nkrumah to arrest him. Pursuant to a Removal Order under the hand of Governor Gerald Creasy dated 12th March, 1948, Kwame Nkrumah was arrested in Cape Coast on that same day.
As fate would have it, Kwame Nkrumah was with his then Private Secretary, Saki Scheck, an alumnus of Mfantsipim School at the time of his arrest. With Nkrumah arrested, MOBA Saki Scheck set a scheme in operation when he chanced upon some students of Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast in the immediate aftermath and recounted to them the arrest. Saki Scheck also requested the Mfantsipim students to accompany him to Mfantsipim School to sensitise the students about the arrests of the Big Six.
At Mfantsipim School, a student gathering was called for Saki Scheck, who seized the moment to ginger the students to boycott classes and to petition the Colonial government for the immediate release of the Big Six. That Petition was effectively written.
From Mfantsipim, Saki Scheck moved to St. Augustine's College and Adisadel College respectively to undertake the same sensitisation campaign. FindSchools
With that, boys and some teachers from the three all-boys schools in Cape Coast embarked on a strike dubbed 'political' to demand the release of the Big Six. The strike lasted from 13th March to 20th March, 1948.
Mfanstipim School was thus the nerve centre of the strike action.
The Colonial government acted swiftly by closing down the three schools. Further, a Conference on the Cape Coast Secondary Schools was called to investigate the strike action and make recommendations.
In the end, some 150 boys were expelled for their joint roles in the strike action. Also expelled were four teachers, one of whom was Henry Werner Aryee Kofi Sackeyfio of Mfantsipim School. FindSchools
On the release of the Big Six, Kwame Nkrumah seized the opportunity to found Ghana National College on 16th July, 1948 for the dismissed students.
On such an occasion, and as a proud alumnus of Ghana National College, I salute Mfantsipim School for its stance in March 1948 and the outcome in July 1948 being the founding of my alma mater.
Ghana National College today stands as a nationalist school and the Gold Coast's defiant response to colonialism.
Mfantsipim is the oldest secondary school in Ghana, and Ghana National College is the only school that bore the name 'Ghana' almost nine years before the Gold Coast attained independence and assumed the name Ghana. FindSchools
Congratulations to Mfantsipim School!
Floreat! Mfantsipim!
GTO We Care
The author is Egbert Faibille Jnr is former President of the Ghana National College Old Students Association.
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