7 Influential Ghanaian ‘Big Men’ Who Attended Adisadel College

Adisadel College, popularly known as “ADISCO”, is an Anglican boys’ boarding school in Cape Coast, Ghana. Established in 1910 in a building at Topp Yard, near Christ Church School which is within the vicinity of Cape Coast Castle with a student population of just 29, the school has matured into one of the highest and most sought-after schools in the country.

Known to have produced some distinguished personalities who have made Ghana proud in their various fields of endeavor, It is without a doubt that Adisadel College deserves all the hype.

GhanaCelebrities.Com brings you a list of 7 Notable personalities who passed through the Adisadel system as students.

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1.GENERAL AKWASI AMANKWAA AFRIFA (Former Head of State)

General Afrifa was a Ghanaian soldier, farmer, traditional ruler, and politician. He was the head of state of Ghana and leader of the military government in 1969 and then Chairman of the Presidential Commission between 1969 and 1970.

Afrifa eventually shot to military and political limelight on 24 February 1966 where together with Lieutenant-Colonel Kotoka, he led a joint southern-northern military exercise codenamed: “Operation Cold Chop”- a military exercise that ousted the Nkrumah-led Convention People’s Party while the Osagyefo was on a peace mission in faraway Vietnam.

General AKwasi Amankwa, known by his admirers as Okatakyie retired from the army and embarked on farming at his home village in Krobo, near Asante Mampong, in Sekyere West District. Yet, his continued passion for politics never waned. He championed the cause of the Popular Movement for Freedom and Justice that thwarted the aspirations of General I.K. Acheampong’s Union Government project which sought to establish a one-party state.

The former head of state was elected Member of Parliament in 1979 but failed to take up his seat at the Third Republican Parliament. He was untimely executed at the prime age of 43 together with two other former heads of state- Acheampong, and Akuffo whom he had earlier cautioned about the future.

2. OTUMFUOR NANA OPOKU WARE II (15th Asantehene)

Otumfuor Nana Opoku Ware was the 15^th Asantehene. He reigned from 6 July 1970 – 25 February 1999.

He was born under the name Jacob Matthew Poku in Kumasi the capital of Ashanti, then known as the Ashanti Protectorate, in 1919 into the Ashanti royal family at a time when his grandfather, Prempeh I was king.

Nana Opoku Ware proceeded to Adisadel College after attending Anglican School.

In the 1950s, he moved to the United Kingdom to study law and was admitted to the bar in 1962. Returning to his native country, he worked in the capital Accra first and then set up a firm in Kumasi. Through his success as a lawyer, Poku was able to attain great respect in Ashanti politics. In 1968, the National Liberation Council military government appointed him to their executive board as Commissioner of Communications.

In 1970, he was named ambassador to Italy, but shortly thereafter his uncle, the King of Ashanti, Prempeh II, died. Due to his legal and political successes, he was chosen to succeed his uncle and enthroned as the 15^th Asantehene.

He died on February 26, 1999, after 29 years as King.

3. DR. KWADWO AFARI GYAN (Former Electoral Commissioner)

Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan earned his popularity as Ghana’s Electoral Commissioner, a position he held from 1992 until his retirement in 2015.

Afari-Gyan also worked as a lecturer and a professor in Political Science at the University of Ghana. He has also lectured in the United States and Nigeria. He was a member of the Committee of Experts that drafted the Fourth Republican Constitution for Ghana.

He was awarded the Order of the Star of Ghana, the highest national award by President John Mahama, on 1 July 2015.

4. ALAN KYEREMATENG (Politician)

Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen is a Ghanaian politician, corporate executive, diplomat, and an international public servant specializing in global trade issues. Kyerematen was Ambassador to the United States and later Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development (PSD), and the Presidential Special Initiatives (PSI), under the President Kufuor-led NPP government.

Kyerematen served as a trade advisor at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he coordinated the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC).

Kyerematen made an attempt at the leadership of the New Patriotic Party in 2007, capturing 32.3% of votes cast. He was first runner-up to Nana Akufo-Addo who gained 47.96% of votes cast. Kyerematen also made other attempts at the party’s leadership in 2010 and 2014 but placed second to Akufo-Addo, who won the primaries.

Alan Kyerematen set a record by entering Adisadel College at the young age of 9 years.

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5. FREDDIE BLAY (Lawyer and Politician)

Frederick Worsemao Armah Blay, popularly called Freddie Blay, is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician. He was a Member of Parliament in Ghana and served as the First Deputy Speaker in the Fourth Parliament of Ghana. He lost his seat in the general elections held on 7 December 2008 to Armah Kofi Buah of the NDC.

He was a member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) but resigned to join the New Patriotic Party after being criticized by some CPP stalwarts for not campaigning for the CPP flagbearer Paa Kwesi Nduom, instead endorsing NPP presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo.

He is currently the Senior Partner at Blay and Associates. He is also the board chairman and majority shareholder of Western Publications Limited, publishers of the Daily Guide newspaper, the flagship of the Group, Business Guide, News-One, and Young Blazers.

He is also the current National Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party.

6. KENNEDY OHENE AGYAPONG (Politician and Businessman)

Kennedy Ohene Agyapong is a businessman and politician who has been a parliamentarian since 2001.

Known to be a passionate critic who speaks his mind regardless of who is involved, the lawmaker is also known to be a big philanthropist having successfully taken many young people through school, among other charitable deeds.

In 2008, Mr. Agyapong had an unsuccessful bid to be Presidential flag-bearer of his affiliated party, the New Patriotic Party, losing out in the first round.

7. DR. SAM JONAH, KBE (Businessman)

Samuel Esson Jonah, KBE is a Ghanaian businessman, the executive chairman of Jonah Capital, an equity fund based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Jonah was previously president of AngloGold Ashanti and shared the strategic leadership of the company with its CEO, Bobby Godsell.

He joined Ashanti Goldfields Corporation in 1979, working in various capacities, including underground operations. At the age of 36, he became the chief executive officer and supervised the transformation of Ashanti Goldfields into a mining multinational, increased gold production from 240,000 ounces per annum to over 1.6 million ounces in over ten years, and oversaw the company’s listing as the first operating African company on the New York Stock Exchange.

Source: GhanaCelebrities.Com