THE NAMING OF THE SCHOOL
When the time came to get the School a fitting and permanent name, it was very strongly suggested by some of the leading chiefs of the State, that is, the influential members of the Okyeman Council, that it should be named after its benefactor, the Okyenhene, thus “Nana Sir Ofori Atta’s Memorial School”.
The Abuakwa Scholars Union supported this but true to character, Nana Sir Ofori Atta rejected this.
He had built the Kyebi Primary or Elementary School that became the Kyebi Government School. His name was never attached. He had built the Kyebi Hospital that has become the District Hospital. His name was never associated with it.
He built the Kyebi Trade School which became the Kyebi Government Trade School so he decided against attaching his name to this later institution.
And so the School was named Abuakwa State College to emphasise the point that it was an asset for the whole Akyem Abuakwa State.
THE MOTTO
Susubiribi is the motto. The magic of this motto is that, as an Akyem word, it can evolve several interpretations: – Aim at the something worthy; Aim high and let the sky be your limit; – Think; think ahead; don’t be indolent; be active; think positively; – Have regard for what is worthy and honourable; – Take measure of what you do or say.
1940 -1944
Mr. C. L. Patterson, a West Indian was brought in 1940 by Nana Sir Ofori Attah to head the School after the departure of Mr. Simango. Because of the new buildings, a lot of students joined the School and Mr. Patterson started to mould them academically.
He was a scholar who, in order to encourage students to form the habit of reading as a tool for quality education, built a library and stocked it with many books especially story books.
Then he established a School Newsletter and these resulted in the building of a wonderful crop of intelligent and brilliant students. No wonder the School excelled with good results in public examinations.
The Patterson era was certainly a period of brilliant academic achievement in the annals of the school. The school was full of students from all parts of the country, even from far away Northern Territories as well as towns in the Western Akyem, Eastern and Central Akyem and some towns in Ashanti-Akim.
Every good thing has its bitter aftermath and not long after, there developed an apparent friction between the Headmaster and his Assistant, Mr. Aaron Ofori Atta. It was soon learnt that Mr. Patterson did not take kindly to the changes Mr. Ofori Atta wanted to introduce.
He wanted to introduce some type of social service with the students going to the neighbouring villages to clean up, tend to those with sores and yaws and teach the illiterate ones how to read, and also cultural drumming and dancing, pouring libation and other traditional practices.
Mr. Patterson would have none of those things. The students were there to follow academic course and they had enough in their plates.
This naturally affected the staff as they were divided into two opposing camps, one supporting their Headmaster and the other their Assistant Headmaster.
Things came to such a head that the two heads had to appear before a small committee of Kyebi headed by Nana Sir Ofori Atta who was known to be kindly disposed towards Mr. C L Patterson, the Headmaster.
It therefore came as no surprise to many members of staff when Mr. Patterson tendered his resignation soon after Nana Sir Ofori Atta’s death in 1943 He had grave doubts about his security when staunchest pillar and supporter had fallen.
Three of his able and very hardworking teachers also resigned with him.
THE END
