SHE flew all the way from St John’s Newfoundland, Canada, to Ghana with a two-fold agenda: to craft the way forward for her scholarship scheme for Ada SHS female students of Ada origin in view of the government’s Free SHS policy, and also to be part of the celebrations marking the presentation of the award to the third recipient – an event which was scheduled for last Thursday.
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Ada SHS enstools former Canadian tutor as ‘Noyam Manye’
- February 11, 2015
- james
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- For Miss Eleanor Louise Webb – who played a pioneering role in the establishment of the Business Department of the school some five decades ago (between 1968 and 1970 to be precise) under the Canadian Universities Services Overseas (CUSO) programme, and who believes in doing things to perfection – it was the only way to see, at first-hand, the real needs of the school she had so endeared herself to. But, unknown to her, the school management team, the four-man administrators of the scholarship scheme, who are based here in Ghana, as well as the chiefs and elders of Mantsekorpe, Ada, had other ideas.
Highly impressed by her hard work, her passion, and her selfless devotion towards the development of the Ada SHS and the education of girls, in particular, which had motivated her to institute the Webb of Excellence Scholarship scheme some three years – the first by any former tutor of the school – they thought it was time to graciously celebrate her. And that they did
So, suddenly, she became the centre of attraction, and she was fittingly given an honour only reserved for royalty: she was enstooled the ‘Noyam Manye’ (Development Queen) of Ada SHS, under the stool name Naana Kabukie ADASCO I.
The short but impressive ceremony, which was held in front of the school’s spacious Nii Djanie Kotei block, was also very poignant. The colourful event, which saw Miss Webb fully dressed in royalty, was jointly performed by Nene Ayiku Adjovu, the chief of Mantsekorpe and Naana Aku Akrofi, Queenmother of Mantsekorpe and Secretary of Queenmothers Association of the Ada Traditional Area. Incidentally, the two royals are both old students of the school, with Nene Ayiku graduating in 1978 while Naana Akrofi graduated in 1975.
In a citation read by Dr Gabriel Canacoo, chairman of the fund, to mark the occasion, he highly commended Miss Webb for being the only former tutor of the school “to have found a way back into the hearts and minds of students and management of the Ada Senior High School in grand style some 50 years after first setting foot on the shores of Ada”.
The current headmistress of the school, Mrs Valencia Quame, also paid glowing tribute to Miss Webb, describing her as “a beautiful Canadian woman who has exuded Godly, Christ-like example by exuding exemplary love, kindness and grace to wipe the tears off the faces of others so as to afford them richer opportunity to excel in life”.
In her acceptance speech, Naana Kabukie ADASCO I said she was “humbled by the decision of the school and administrators of the fund to bestow such a great honour on me for little contribution to the school”.
She said apart from Ada, she had also worked in other African countries like Botswana, South Sudan and Malawi, but she always treasured her two-year stay in Ghana because of the love and warmth of the people.
She said women need to be educated and given equal opportunity to succeed in work, and she hoped the scholarship will continue to thrive and be of assistance to education – particularly for girls.
Assisted by the headmistress and the chairman of the fund, Naana Kabukie ADASCO I later decorated Emelia Korlekour Addowah, the winner of the third Webb of Excellence Scholarship award, with a sash and also presented her with a cheque for GH¢1,768 to cover her tuition fees for her second year.
She also presented a cheque for GH¢2,458 to the school to cover the tuition and WASSCE exam fees of Charity Kpelemeh Asigbey, the second winner of the award, who is now in SHS3.
In a brief speech, the awardee expressed her gratitude to Naana Kabukie ADASCO I and the administrators of the fund, as well the school’s management for the honour done her, and pledged to study harder in the years ahead to justify the confidence reposed in her.
The event attracted a large number of dignitaries, including Nene Dornu Dugbartey, an elder of the Ada Foah stool; A.L. Akrofie, DCE of Ada West; Alex Tettey-Enyo, a former headmaster and former Minister of Education; Mr Kenneth Kabu Kanor, President of the Old Students Association; and Pastor E.L. Boyor, a former tutor of the school.
