Okuapemman History

The man Barrister Opoku Acheampong, the father of our alma mater, Great OKUAS indeed a national hero by all standards.His love for his country and for his countrymen was at the center of his being.

Born on the 15^th July 1915, he attended the Presbyterian Junior School,Salem[Presbyterian Senior Boys’  Boarding]and proceeded to the Presbyterian Training College [PTC]all in Akropong –Akwapem .He later went  to Achimota School where he sat for the  highly competitive  Cadbury and fry Scholarship Examination,passed well ,won a scholarship  and entered Achimota  between 1931 and 1935 .There in Achimota  he passed the Cambridge School Certificate Examination with exemption from London Matriculation.He was  employed by his benefactors Cadbury and  Fry as Produce Buying Agent.Later  he rose to become the Koforidua-Anyinam district Officer of the company.

With an ambition to become a lawyer,he saved some money and left to England on his own in 1944 and gained admission to the London School of Economic and Middle Temple in 1994.He was called to the bar at the middle  temple in 1947 and returned to Ghana the following year.

Even though he did not want to become a teacher, barrister was fondly interested in education and was deeply involved in the running of schools in the country. His involvement in the running of schools supported by his burning desire to something concrete for his hometown, Akropong, Akuapem, the Akuapem state and the nation fueled his dreams for the establishment of a school.So he singly handedly built, equipped and formally opened the school on the 8^th February 1957 at the cost of £18, 000.he actually put up the building for the school, travelling from Accra to Akropong after court sessions to supervise the work on the building himself on site. On his return from the Akropong trips, the story has it that he would sit up all night and study his case .sometimes he even sat by his desk till the early house of the morning.

He chose to build Okuapemman school at a time his fellow well to do country men and lawyers were putting up huge mansions,hotels etc and educating their children abroad.In addition,instead of sending his children abroad and educating them there or sending them to some of the wall established secondary schools in the country at the time such as Achimota , Mfantipim, Adisadel,etc,he sent two of his sons to his school as a pointer to the kind of esteem and respect which has been proved right since one of his favourite sons being one of the pioneers of the school took after his father and became an accomplished lawyer.He also insisted that his sons school fees were paid by him (i.e the parents)instead of decreeing that as children of the founder they should be exempted from paying fees .As a result of insistence on school fees,immediately after his death and  one of his sons couldn’t pay his fees at the time,he (the said son)was among the group of students who were sent out of the school by the then headmaster,to collect his school fees. An act which greatly embarrassed and disillusioned his said son and for which the headmaster concerned later regretted after receiving a rebuke in writing from chief Justice Philip Archer who was then Registrar General and Administrator of the late Barrister Opoku Acheampong’s estate .This insistence on the paying of school fees portrays his sense of orderliness and righteousness.

Unfortunately he was snatched away by the icy hands of death on the 1^st of December ,1958 at the age of 44. The founder of our great school might be gone but his legacy has so far affected the nation looking at the crème of intellectuals the school has churned out;not only prototypes of academics but high caliber professionals with great diversities.

One of the greatest schools in the country well noted for its uniqueness and other sterling qualities and which can’t be equaled by anyone else is Okuapemman School. The school founded single handedly by a native of Akropong Akwapim has over the years produced so many personalities from all walks of life who have contributed so much in the building of this nation of ours. It has produced lawyers, doctors, professors, brass military men, farmers and indeed prominent traditional rulers of the land.

It is a lot of achievement for the man Barrister Opoku Acheampong who out of sacrifice and pushing his personal gains aside, founded the school which for the past 50 years has contributed to producing brains for nation building. Out of pure sacrifice product of our dear school can be found in every niche of human Endeavor contributing to the socio-economic, educational and political development of the country.

The sacrificial trait of the founder is one thing that we should all reflect on as we gear ourselves for the grand golden jubilee celebration. Wherever we find ourselves or whatever that our hands find to, let do it with a lot of love and sacrifice, commitment and discipline, and nationalistic feeling for the good of our entire compatriot for a better tomorrow.