List of Achimotans

Notable Achimotans listed below are either alumni ("Akoras") or were affiliated to Achimota School as teachers. According to the Constitution of the Old Achimotan Association (OAA), alumni members who completed a full course of study and teachers who taught at the school for at least five years are considered to be full members of the OAA, and are known as Akoras. Notable Akoras are those Achimotans that have excelled or played a pioneering role in their field.

Notable alumni

Political leaders

• Alhaji Adamu Atta, former Governor of Kwara State, Nigeria
• Edward Akufo-Addo, former President, Second Republic of Ghana (1969–72)
• Kow Nkensen Arkaah, first Vice President, Fourth Republic of Ghana (1993–97)
• Alhaji Sir Dauda Jawara, first Head of State of The Gambia (1970–94)
• John Evans Atta Mills, former President, Republic of Ghana (2009–12), second Vice President, Fourth Republic of Ghana (1997-2001)
• Robert Mugabe, President, Republic of Zimbabwe
• Kwame Nkrumah, first President of Ghana, founding member and 3rd Chairman of the Organisation of African Unity, now African Union
• Jerry John Rawlings, former Head of State, Ghana, 1979, 1981–93; and former President, Republic of Ghana (1993-2001)
• John Dramani Mahama, President, Republic of Ghana (2012– present), fourth Vice President, Fourth Republic of Ghana (2009-12)

Architecture

• Osei Agyeman, architect and former President of the Ghana Institute of Architects
• Theodore S. Clerk, first African architect of the Gold Coast and Developer of the Port City of Tema
• Nii Teiko Evans-Anform, architect and former President of the Ghana Institute of Architects
• Joe Osae-Addo, internationally acclaimed architect and proponent of native design

Armed forces

• Major-General Nathan Apea Aferi, second Ghanaian Chief of Defense Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, and former Foreign Minister
• Major Seth Anthony, diplomat and first African commissioned officer in the British Army
• Squadron Leader Victor Bannerman, former Senior Officer of the Ghana Air Force
• Major-General (Rtd) Stephen Otu, first Ghanaian Chief of Defense Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces
• Flight-Lieutenant (Rtd) Jerry John Rawlings, former officer of the Ghana Air Force, military Head of State, and President of Ghana
• Lieutenant-General Joseph Henry Smith, Ambassador to the United States, and former Chief of Army Staff
• Wing Commander (Rtd) Patrick Sogbodjor, former Senior Officer of the Ghana Air Force

Aviation

• Captain Agyare, former pilot Ghana Airways
• Captain Kofi Martin Ampomah, former pilot Ghana Airways, and head of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority

Business

• John Saka Addo, ^[1] Chairman of Prudential Bank, and former Governor of the Bank of Ghana
• Mr. J. E. Boakye-Mensah, first Ghanaian manager in the then UAC, and first Ghanaian manager of the then GNTC
• Oko-Nikoi Dzani, ^[2] founder of NDK Financial Services and former Managing Director of Co-operative Bank
• Keli Gadzekpo^[3] CEO of Enterprise Group, and former CEO and Co-Founder of Databank Group
• Alexander Yamoah Kyei, economist and former IMF Country Representative
• Ken Ofori-Atta, founder and Chairman of Databank Group
• Kwame Pianim, economist, consultant, and politician
• George Nenyi Andah

Diplomats

• K.B Asante, former teacher and former High Commissioner to the UK
• Daniel Ohene Agyekum, ^[4] former Ambassador to the United States
• S.K.B Asante, lawyer and International Arbitrator who has served as International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce, International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID
• Victor Gbeho, former Minister of Foreign Affairs
• D. K. Osei, diplomat and former Secretary to the President
• Isaac Osei, former High Commissioner to the UK, and Chief Executive of COCOBOD

Education

• Ivan Addae-Mensah, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana
• Adjei-Bekoe, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana
• E. H. Amonoo-Neizer, former Vice Chancellor, KNUST
• Ernest Aryeetey, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ghana
• Ernest Victor Asihene, former Pro-Vice Chancellor and first Dean of the College of Art, KNUST
• Patrick Awuah, Jr., President and founder of Ashesi University
• Kenneth Dike, first African Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan
• Francis Kufuor, former Pro-Vice Chancellor and former Chairman, KNUST Council
• F. O. Kwami, former Vice Chancellor, KNUST
• Alexander A. Kwapong, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, and former Vice Rector of the UN University in Tokyo, Japan
• Lawrence Henry Yaw Ofosu-Appiah, former Classics Professor, University of Ghana
• Elike B. Takyi, former Principal of LTI, Liberia

Fashion

• Nelly Aboagye, founder of Duaba Serwa
• Nora Bannerman-Abbott, fashion designer and owner of Sleek Garment^[5]
• Aisha Obuobi, fashion designer and founder of ^[6]
• Sandi Owusu
• Tetteh Plahar

Government

• Kwame Addo-Kufuor, MP and former Minister of Defense
• Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, former Electoral Commissioner
• Susanna Al-Hassan, Ghana's first female Minister of State
• Joyce R. Aryee, former Secretary, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines and Exec Director, Salt and Light Ministries
• William Ofori Atta, co-leader of Ghana Independence Movement, former Minister for Education, Culture and Sports, 1970–71; and former Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Ekwow Spio Garbrah, Minister of Trade and Industries, former Ambassador to the United States, and former Minister of Education, and former Secretary of the CTO
• Komla Agbeli Gbedemah, former Finance Minister
• Samuel Phillip Gyimah, British MP, Parliamentary Private Secretary to David Cameron
• Alan John Kyerematen, former Ambassador to the United States, Minister of Trade and Industries
• Erasmus Ransford Tawiah Madjitey, CBE, first Ghanaian Commissioner of the Ghana Police Force, diplomat, and politician
• J. H. Mensah, former Finance Minister of Ghana, MP (1969–72), Leader of Government Business (2001), Senior Minister (2001-07)
• Gloria Amon Nikoi (née Addae), first female Minister of Foreign Affairs; Finance Minister
• Daniel A. Chapman Nyaho, first Secretary to the Cabinet, Ghana’s first Ambassador to the United States
• Yaw Osafo-Maafo, former parliamentarian and former Finance Minister, adjudged Africa's Best Finance Minister in 2001 by the Banker Magazine of the Financial Times
• Victor Owusu, former Attorney General and Foreign Minister (1969–72)
• Richard Kwame Peprah, former Minister of Finance
• Joseph Henry Smith, Ambassador to the United States, and former Chief of Defense Staff

Health services

• Benedicta Ababio, former Regional Medical Officer of Health of the Greater Accra Region, and USAID Resident Advisor
• Prof. Emmanuel Badoe, former gastroenterology and internal medicine physician and surgeon at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital
• Edwin George Beausoleil, first Ghanaian malariologist, former Director-General of Medical Services, Ministry of Health, Ghana; first Chairman of World Health Organization (WHO) AIDS Task Force for Africa; member of first Global Commission on AIDS, 1989; first African, WHO Expert Committee on the Selection of Essential Drugs, 1977
• Kwame Aniapam Boafo MB. ChB. MD. MPH. MBA. FACOG, FGCPS Clinical Associate Professor of OB/GYN, Albert Einstein Medical School, New York
• Matilda J. Clerk, second female Ghanaian physician
• Charles Odamtten Easmon, first Ghanaian surgeon and first Dean of University of Ghana Medical School
• Susan Ofori-Atta, first Ghanaian female physician
• Prof. J. K. M. Quartey, former urology specialist at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital
• A. N. Tackie, first Ghanaian Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, KNUST; former Executive Chairman Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); former Ag. Director Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine
• Jaswant Wadwhani, former Commanding Officer, 37 Military Hospital

Legal and judiciary

• Anna Bossman, former Acting Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ)
• Justice Samuel Kofi Date-Bah, Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana
• Justice Annie Jiagge, first female Justice of Ghana
• Justice Akua Kuenyehia, first African to service as Chief Justice of the World Court at the Hague
• Justice E. N. P. Sowah, former Chief Justice of Ghana

Mass media

• Audrey Gadzekpo,^[7] journalist and Senior Lecturer at the School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana
• Kwaku Sakyi-Addo, journalist, two-time winner of Journalist of the Year Award and Ghana's former correspondent for the BBC and Reuters

Music

• Saka Acquaye, artist, sculptor, highlife and folk musician, co-founder of Black Beats Band and Wulomei
• Victor Kofi Agawu, music professor, Princeton University
• King Bruce, highlife musician; founder and leader of Black Beats Band; senior Civil Service official
• Philip Gbeho, classical musician and composer of Ghana's national anthem
• Kofi Ghanaba, aka "Guy Warren" Akwei, musician and drummer
• Emmanuel Gyimah Labi, composer, ethnomusicologist, pianist and former conductor of the Ghana National Symphony Orchestra
• Nyamafo Alice Chapman Nyaho, classical pianist, Professor of Music at University of Ghana
• William Chapman Nyaho, classical pianist
• Reggie Rockstone, musician and hip-life artiste
• Bernice Ofei

Politics

• Lawrence Rosario Abavana
• Reginald Reynolds Amponsah
• Omane Boamah
• Dan Botwe
• Samia Nkrumah, first female Chair of C.P.P, and former Member of Parliament of Jomoro Constituency
• Benita Sena Okity-Duah
• Gilchrist Olympio, Togolese politician and presidential candidate

Science and technology

• Victor Lawrence, professor, telecommunications engineer, and inventor of internet connectivity
• Nii Quaynor, engineer and founder of NCS (now Ghana.com^[8])
• Charles Wereko-Brobby, engineer and politician, and former CEO of Volta River Authority

Sports

• Herbert Mensah, former CEO of Kumasi Asante Kotoko FC
• Ernest Obeng, former world-class sprinter and Head of Broadcasting for the International Association of Athletic Federations

Writers

• Ayi Kwei Armah, author of The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born
• Kofi Awoonor, poet, teacher, and diplomat
• Cyprian Ekwensi, short-story writer, author of children's books, pharmacist and broadcaster

Principals and heads

• James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey, first vice principal and co-founder
• Rev. Alec Garden Fraser, co-founder and first principal; former principal of Trinity College, Kandy, Sri Lanka; and Gordonstoun, Scotland^[9]
• Daniel A. Chapman Nyaho, first Ghanaian headmaster
• Bishop Robert Stopford, former principal and former Bishop of London

Former teachers

• Ephraim Amu, musician and composer
• John Barham, English pianist, composer, arranger, producer, choirmaster and educator
• Kofi Abrefa Busia, former teacher and former Prime Minister of Ghana in the 2nd Republic (1969 to 1972)
• Michael Cardew, potter
• Charles G. Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Roman Catholic Church, Accra^[10]

Other

• Sally Mugabe (née Hayfron), wife of President Robert Mugabe
• Esther Afua Ocloo, industrialist
• Theodosia Okoh, designer of Ghana's national flag
• Grace Bediako

References

1. John Saka Addo
2. Oko-Nikoi Dzani
3. Keli Gadzekpo
4. Daniel Ohene Agyekum
5. Sleek Garment
6. Christie Brown
7. Audrey Gadzekpo
8. Ghana.com
9. "School history", Gordonstoun.
10. Meet our Archbishop

External links

• Old Achimotans Association