Speech Delivered by Dr. Randy Abbey at the 92nd Speech and Prize Giving Day of Accra Academy on Saturday, 28th October, 2023, at the Ceremonial grounds, Accra Academy.
Theme: Developing and Maintaining Sustainable School Infrastructure for Impactful Education: A Shared Responsibility
Mr chairman, Mr Wilson Quartey Tei.
The Board chairman, His Lordship Justice Jones Mawulorm Dotse.
Headmaster, Mr Emmanuel Ofoe Fiemawhle,
Special Guest of Honour, Amb Chris Kpodo
President of Aoba, Mr Joseph K Amoa- Awuah.
Bleo 92,
Parents,
Teachers,
Students,
Non-Teaching Staff,
Invited Guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
When I received the invitation to speak at the 92nd Speech and Prize Giving Day of my cherished alma mater, Accra Academy, I instantaneously and rhetorically asked, why me?
But an innermost ethereal and captivating voice whispered, “Randy, when Bleooo beckons you obey! You dare not ask questions…” And so here I am.
I am here as a proud academician who has exciting fond memories of the happenings within the hallowed walls of this great school. A school that has produced many of Ghana’s great and mighty.
This great school began with the vision and commitment of Dr. Kofi George Konuah, Messrs Samuel Neils Awuletey, Gottfried Narku Alema and James Akwei Halm-Addo as a little palm kernel in two modest one storey buildings on July 20, 1931. The school was situated at Mantse Agbonaa, a suburb of James Town right here in Accra.
Accra Academy was subsequently moved to its present site in September 1961 with about 250 students and an infrastructure base of 21 classrooms, three science laboratories and four halls of residence.
By the early 1990s, the palm kernel planted, had matured into that visible palm tree engraved on our school crest. By this time, the school’s population had exceeded one thousand (1,000).
Mr Chairman, this means over a period of six decades from 1931 to the 1990s the population increased by 5,163%. Obviously, the population was growing geometrically and outstripping the rate of infrastructure development.
An unsustainable trajectory had begun!
I remember that in lower 6 we numbered over 570 so our General Paper lessons were held at the assembly hall. Can you imagine 570 students crammed in a hall being taught and supervised by one tutor (Mr. George Meyer) Joe Mia?
Specifically, between 1961 and the 1990s the school only witnessed the addition of just one storey building to its infrastructure. And we looked on!
Ladies and gentlemen, Accra Academy has striven to thrive and has intensely transformed into a giant palm tree. In a challenging environment at Bubiashie adjacent the Kaneshie “First-light” where others may not have survived, we have triumphed. From 19 students at the outset, we can boast of having 4,500 students today.
Bravo bleooo!
Congratulations to our forebears. Congratulations to the past and current managers of Accra Academy and the 200 teaching and non-teaching staff who continue to lift the flag of Accra Academy higher up.
Mr. Chairman, it is a no brainer that the school’s infrastructure is inadequate.
Yes, the 21 bungalows, 53 classrooms, 3 science laboratories, 4 science resource laboratories, 1 ICT laboratory, 7 dormitories, 1 Administration Block, 1 Clinic Block, some sports facilities and the Ceremonial Grounds are incapable of meeting our needs if Accra Academy is to transform into a modern cutting-edge technology compliant school.
Accra Academy deserves sustainable school infrastructure.
Nevertheless, give me another chance in life as a boy today; and I will choose Accra Academy without question.
Thank you all and the Accra Academy Class of 1992 for this invitation. I feel blessed to be one of you.
This 92nd speech and prize giving day is being organized by the 1992-year group.
The year 1992 itself birthed some epochal events in this great republic of ours.
Ghana was transitioning into the democracy of the fourth republic and the Black Meteors won Africa’s first medal in soccer at the Olympic games held in Barcelona.
As a media practitioner and a football administrator, how I wish I was asked to speak to any of these two topics; namely democracy or football in Ghana.
However, Accra Academy’s Class of 1992 has only tasked me to deliver my address on the topic: “Developing and Maintaining Sustainable School Infrastructure for Impactful Education: A Shared Responsibility.”
This topic could pass for a Doctoral thesis at any Ivy league school.
Ladies and gentlemen, in this speech, I seek to adopt and adapt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations as my frame of reference, because the SDGs remain the most relevant and authoritative source document for any discussion on sustainable development.
After the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, Ghana further committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which includes Goal 4, aimed at, “ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” All ten (10) education
targets under Goal 4, seek to ensure “all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes by 2030.”
This noble goal cannot materialize without adequate and equitable financing of basic and second cycle education.
Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, 2030 is just seven years from now. Just a year before Accra Academy turns a century.
I dare say, the world including Accra Academy is far behind time and must double up and invest heavily in humanity if the goals can be achieved within the set time.
This is why I am exceedingly excited Accra Academy has recognised and prioritised the need to deploy sustainable school infrastructure and good maintenance culture to educate and empower the youth to impact meaningfully on society.
We must all share in this responsibility because impactful education will surely contribute to creating well-paying jobs, protect our environment, and end poverty, squalor and deprivation.
Relatedly, when we teach our students sustainable living before they exit the walls of Accra Academy, their future choices both at home and at work will also impact positively on the world.
Truth is, among the young boys seated right before me are future fathers and I mean responsible fathers, future Presidents, Judges, Journalists, Sports administrators, Lawyers, Doctors, CEOs, Bankers, Pilots, teachers and more…
This being the case, let us resolve to help our beloved school. Let us contribute to building academic and residential facilities that can meet the increasing demands on our school.
Talking about our young boys, Mr chairman, let me recall and commend the exploits of our boys at this year’s National Science and Math Quiz. Two weeks ago, we witnessed a very spirited semi-final performance by our gallant students.
Kudos to our participants and teachers. Next year, we shall get to the finals and win it.
On this auspicious occasion I would like to also congratulate all the award winners and for those who are not called unto the podium today, be motivated to study harder.
Ghana’s population keeps growing and remains a youthful population. This means, the demand for admissions on a Grade A school like Accra Academy will intensify and may topple over if adequate measures are not instituted. Same can be said for many educational institutions at all levels.
Land is a gift of nature, but it is geographically immobile. Otherwise, I would have convinced my Ga people to move several tracts of land from elsewhere to Bubiashie as a donation to my alma mater. However, this is impossible!
But a possibility exists!
To ensure sustainability, Accra Academy calls on us with the iconic Bleooo sound to construct multi-storey, well lit, very ventilated vertical infrastructure for both academic and residential purposes.
Undoubtedly, our sojourns abroad have confirmed that with efficient and effective spatial planning, coupled with innovative architecture, adequate facilities can be provided to suit the needs of students, teaching and critical non-teaching staff even with limited land.
Beyond vertical development saving land, I also emphasise adequate ventilation because with optimal air circulation we can be assured of less power consumption and less cost just as strategic positioning of the buildings permit adequate sun-lighting during the day.
Over and above the development of new and modern sustainable infrastructure, in a shared but differentiated manner, let us also ingeniously re-engineer the existing buildings to serve our purpose as the student population increase with increasing national population growth.
By re-engineering for sustainability, as an example, I mean incorporating biogas technology into existing facilities, to save cost on power consumption, and rainwater harvesting and treatment to ensure uninterrupted supply of water.
Who knows! Maybe, one day, Accra Aca may relocate to a different part of the greater Accra Region. But even if that happens, I urge you to retain this very ‘holy’ site where Ghana’s many great and mighty were tutored.
I also challenge the managers of our great school to prioritise maintenance in order to preserve the existing infrastructure on this campus.
Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, developing and maintaining sustainable school infrastructure for impactful education as a shared responsibility requires thorough national discourse and urgent action.
Let me emphasise that, we must also consider the concerns of people who live with different forms of disabilities (PWDs) if the ends of equity are to be served.
The discourse must not be confined to Accra Academy alone – On my part as a voice of influence and a responsive citizen, I promise to take it up beyond today’s Speech and Prize Giving Day ceremony.
In addition, sharing in the responsibility means parents, students, teaching and non-teaching staff, alumni, Government and its built environment institutions, Parliament and development partners appreciating the enormity of the challenge and committing to fund it.
These multi-stakeholders must also be receptive to new ideas and technologies and must be willing to respond favourably to the needs of schools.
The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) is a public trust set up by an Act of Parliament in the year 2000. Mr. Chairman, the (GETFund) has become the main source of financing education infrastructure in Ghana.
Accruals to the Fund includes 2.5 per cent of the Value Added Tax collected by the Ghana Revenue Authority. Unfortunately, in 2017, Ghana’s Parliament at the instance of the Executive passed the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act to free up public funds in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for other uses. This obnoxious Act provides that the earmarked funds for each financial year should be equivalent to 25 per cent of revenue, a move which has reduced GETFund inflows drastically. Thus, inhibiting development of infrastructure in public schools.
Additionally, in 2018, GETFund was partially securitized for 10 years, to secure a US$ 1.5 billion-cedi equivalent loan/bond in three (3) tranches for financing education infrastructure. The major expected outcome of the loan was to expand Senior High School (SHS) infrastructure and end the double track system under the free SHS programme. 2023 is about ending but the verdict is, we are still saddled with the double track system.
Furthermore, Mr. Chairman, in 2022 government moved the capping of funds such as the GETFund from 25% to 70% by passing the Enhanced Earmarked Funds Capping And Realignment ACT. This terrible law was a piercing stab to the very heart of infrastructure development in schools. This is because it assigned a paltry and anaemic 30% of the revenue meant for infrastructure development in schools to the GETFund.
Ladies and gentlemen, even with the capping and Realignment the disparity between allocations in the budget and actual releases paint a gloomier picture.
According to the GETFund disbursement formula in the hansards of Parliament
2018 924,804,543.00 was allocated however 404,719,572.00 representing 44% was released.
2019 1,206,764,000.00 was allocated, however 557,972,536.00 representing 49% was released
2020 1,228,038,448.00 was allocated, however 695,470,000.00 representing 64% was released
2021 1,442,796,000.00 was allocated, however 676,093,202.00 representing 47% was released.
Table 1: Analysis of GETFund allocation versus end of year releases (2017-2021).
I must add that the passage of the law was never without spirited protests and petitions from civil society organisations, teacher and student unions.
Because the capping and realignment law has further reduced the ability of the GETFund to provide infrastructure in schools; I am urging the government to take advantage of the 2024 Budget and Financial Statement to stop capping the GETFund. Parliament must also desist from approving such proposals.
In 8 years, specifically in 2031, this great school will turn a hundred years.
Yes, Accra Academy will be a hundred years old in 2031, just 8 years from now.
Coincidentally, 2031 will also mark the first year after the expiration of the Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, Accra Academy, in its small way, needs money and innovation to be compliant with the SDGs.
I am reliably informed that to end the Double Track system which keeps some students at home on vacation whiles others are studying in school, Accra Academy alone needs 30 new and additional classrooms to accommodate about 1,200 students. Among others, more than 30 bungalows and flats to get more staff to stay in the school are also required to ensure discipline.
There are about 3000 boarders in this school housed in seven halls of residence and serviced by the same dining hall that we used about four decades ago.
I’m reliably informed that to use the dining hall our students practice a quadruple track system by taking turns in groups to have their meals.
Mr chairman, ladies and gentlemen over the past 92 years the founders of this great school, previous and current governments, parents and old students have contributed immensely towards the infrastructure that we have all benefitted from and which continues to serve the thousands of current and future students.
Just this morning my 1992 year group commissioned the refurbished Visual Arts block. I commend our indefatigable president, Mr Kwame Odoi Danquah , the members of the various sub-Committees and all my colleagues both home and abroad whose generous contributions made this feat possible.
Kindly join me to applaud them.
Many year groups and individual old students like the African football legend, Asamoah Gyan have contributed immensely to the development and maintenance of this school’s infrastructure and have to be celebrated.
But as I have illustrated in this speech, to maintain and develop sustainable infrastructure for impactful education Accra Academy needs a lot more.
Mr chairman, ladies and gentlemen, to meet this onerous obligation on us as old students and parents I wish to propose the establishment of an Accra Academy Centenary Fund.
This Fund should be anchored in the resolve of a proposed Accra Aca Club One Thousand (1,000). This will be a group of a minimum of 1000 able alumni who are willing to realise the objectives of the Centenary Fund.
Let me add, our wives, children and other well-wishers can also join the Club as we get ready to contribute GHC500 a month or GHC6000 a year.
This contribution will not be forever! But for the next 8 years – I mean from now till 2031 when we celebrate Accra Academy at 100.
Guess what! These contributions will rake in a minimum of six million (GHC6,000,000.00) annually, yielding a total of GHC48,000,000.00 by 2031.
Mr chairman, ladies and gentlemen, within the context of the provision of sustainable school infrastructure being a shared responsibility, I want to further propose a voluntary contribution of GHC50.00 per student per term by parents to be paid into the proposed Accra Academy Centenary Fund. This represents GHC150 contribution by parents every academic year for each student.
I used “voluntary” advisedly because of the restrictions imposed on Senior High Schools by the government.
I join the numerous stakeholders who have called for a review of the free SHS policy by government especially in the area of contributions by parents and guardians.
Recent reports of parents and old students being called upon to help with the feeding and other expenditure on students clearly fortifies the call for a review.
Once again guess what, with a student population of about 4,500, this will generate a minimum amount of GHC675,000.00 every year and over the next 8 years about GHC5.4 million Ghana Cedis.
To this end Mr chairman, I propose a board comprising persons with integrity and competence drawn from Alumni, Parents and the management of the school. A reputable audit firm should also be appointed to ensure accountability, compliance and transparency.
The Centenary Fund I am proposing should generate a minimum of GHC53.4million over the next eight years from only alumni and parents of students.
The Fund must finance infrastructure development and its maintenance to ensure sustainable and impactful education as the theme for today’s occasion prescribes.
Mr. Chairman, as I turn 50 in a few weeks, my wife Tessa and I would like to contribute GHC50,000.00 as seed money to establish the Accra Academy Centenary Fund.
To conclude, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I began my speech reminiscing about key events in 1992 and tracing the comparative discrepancy between population growth and infrastructure development of Accra Academy from its inception in 1931 up to today.
My frame of reference for sustainability has been the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals which must be achieved by countries by 2030.
I have called on government to abolish the capping and realignment act and review the free SHS policy.
I proceeded to suggest that we set up an Accra Academy Centenary Fund. A fund to rake in at least GHC 53.4miilion from alumni and parents over the next eight years. Furthermore, I have encouraged government and development partners to upscale this monetary projection.
The deeper truth is, with our present population of 4,500, our increase in population from 1931 stands at, 449,900%. This shows we truly have a challenge with sustainable infrastructure now and in the future.
Thus, we must act decisively to address the impatient tempo of this notable mismatch!
Ladies and gentlemen, because we all share in the belief that we must develop and maintain sustainable infrastructure for impactful education at Accra Academy and in all schools across the country, we – as a consortium of the willing – must implement these proposals. Paraphrasing our school anthem, this is the surest way for “Generations of scholars to salute Accra Academy as Black and grey acknowledge Accra Academy. Because in thought, in words, and indeed Accra Academy has given us all noble gifts to cherish forever.
Let us all continue to chant and practice “Esse Quam Videri” as students or past students of Accra Academy.
Because at Accra Aca, we have chosen “To be, [sustainable] rather than to seem to be.”
Thank you once again and God richly bless us all.
