Mfantsipim-Adisadel rivalry built excellence, not division - Sam Jonah

Sam Jonah paid tribute to Mfantsipim School at the launch of Mfantsipim's 150th anniversary on Saturday, April 11, at the Palms Convention Center. He described its 150-year legacy as extraordinary and central to Ghana's development. He framed the competition between Mfantsipim and Adisadel College as one rooted in mutual respect rather than hostility, saying, "Rivalry at its best, ladies and gentlemen, is respect wearing a competitive mask."

Mr. Jonah recounted that when Methodist missionaries established Mfantsipim, modern Ghana had not yet been formed, and many technological advancements were yet to emerge. He noted that the motor car had not yet been invented, the telephone was brand new, and the electric light bulb was just three years away. He said that Mfantsipim's vision has produced generations of leaders, including the late Kofi Annan. As an old student of Adisadel College, Mr. Jonah acknowledged the rivalry between the two schools has driven excellence on both sides.

Mr. Jonah saluted Mfantsipim, admitting that such recognition does not often come easily between the two rival institutions, saying, "I do what I suspect no Santa Clausian has done in over a century - I salute you. Genuinely, warmly, and only slightly reluctantly." He expressed hope that the school would continue to produce men of impact and remain a beacon of education and leadership for generations to come.