The alumni group of Mfantsipim Senior High School, the oldest second cycle school in Ghana, the Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA), has sworn into office its National Executive Committee at an induction service in Accra.
The ceremony marked the transition of leadership from Ebusuapanin Captain John Fordjoe, who had held the position for nine years, to Moses Kwesi Baiden Jr.
The event, held at the Calvary Methodist Church in Adabraka, was well attended by alumni, their families, friends, and colleagues from other renowned schools in the country.
During the ceremony, the Administrative Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, Michael Agyarkwa Bossman, reminded the new executives of their responsibility to ensure the educational advancement and progress of the school.
He emphasized the importance of serving all year groups and urged them to embody Christian leadership qualities instilled by Mfantsipim.
Bishop Bossman said, “leadership is about innovation, modesty, hard work, tender loving care, devotion, selflessness, versatility, dexterity, and creativity.”
He emphasized the values of innovation, modesty, hard work, and devotion in leadership, reminding the executives of their duty to glorify God and serve others. He encouraged them to lead with integrity and obedience to God’s word.
He charged them to execute their duties in the fear of God and “must not do anything as new officers to dishonor the Lord or bring His holy name into disrepute on account of our actions.”
The Administrative Bishop further advised the new executives to be obedient to God, since this is the key to success in all endeavors, while imbuing themselves in the power of His word.
He charged them to prove themselves to be faithful and sincere as far as their administration is concerned, seeing their new charge as a trust from God.
He said, “you are in charge of the National Executive Committee of MOBA, and have a stake in the welfare and progress of teachers in our school and their nurture, for them to reach their maximum potential. This is a call of God on you to act faithfully and wisely.”
The newly inducted Abusuapanin of MOBA, Moses Kwesi Baiden Jr., promised to continue the infrastructural projects begun by the outgoing administration.
He also promised to work to establish an MOBA endowment fund, targeted to raise donations to meet the long-term funding needs of the administration in carrying out its vision.
Mr Baiden Jr. again pledged to work with the school administration and the leadership of the Methodist Church to “return the ownership and management of the school to those who love it most, MOBA and the Methodist Church.”
He continued, “We pledge to work with the government as an assisted school, but not a school owned by the government in order to put in place guarantees that adequately confirm that we can put in place systems that ensure that we can fund our school and put it back on the path of progress.”
The new Abusuapanin also said he would ensure that Mfantsipim can compete on the global stage by benchmarking global best practices and also attract the best administrators and teachers.
He also promised to bring the school back to its pedestal as one that is funded by those who can afford to pay the market price while subsidizing the cost for brilliant but needy students, selected based on a needs assessment system to ensure that they can enjoy a free and quality Senior High School education.
He stressed, “We believe at Mfantsipim that there must be premier schools for premier people that will train premier leaders who will take the biggest responsibility for leadership in this country that will move it to the next level.”
He set out a vision to help connect highly gifted students of Mfantsipim to their potential by developing a curriculum rooted in the belief that every student should be educated in keeping with the needs of society.
He also indicated his intention of strengthening the MOBA fraternity by creating engagement forums, post-completion support networks, and a job and commercial marketplace for businesses owned by Old Boys of the school.
He indicated that his administration would establish an Mfantsipim Thanksgiving Day to raise funds and help all Old Boys rededicate themselves to God and the school.
He noted that current subventions by the government to the over 4,000 students in the school are woefully inadequate, coupled with inadequate school infrastructure, thereby hampering the ability of the school to nurture students to have a global impact.
