Credit Kekeli K. Blamey
In a landmark gesture aimed at advancing education in Akyem Oda, a UK-based retired investment banker and native of the town, Alexander Amponsah-Yeboah, has launched the Royal Agona Awosofie Education Fund to support brilliant, underprivileged students pursuing tertiary education.
With a personal seed donation of GH¢100,000, Mr. Amponsah-Yeboah announced the initiative at a formal event held in Oda on Wednesday.
The fund will begin disbursing scholarships in the 2025/2026 academic year, focusing on students with strong WASSCE results who demonstrate financial need.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Amponsah-Yeboah emphasized the fund’s core mission: “to encourage academic excellence and nurture responsible future leaders for Oda and Ghana.”
He clarified that the initiative is entirely non-partisan and independent of chieftaincy affairs, with awards granted purely on academic merit.
A five-member Board of Trustees has been formed to manage the fund, assess applications, and ensure a transparent selection process.
Obrempong Gyamfi Safo Kyere, Krontihene of the Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area, officially launched the fund and commended Mr. Amponsah-Yeboah’s commitment to education.
He called on well-to-do indigenes of Oda to contribute to the sustainability and growth of the initiative.
“Education is the foundation of development,” Obrempong Kyere noted. “Nations like the UK, USA, China, and India have advanced through education—Ghana must follow suit.”
He also urged local youth to abandon illegal mining activities and called on parents to prioritize their children’s education over lavish spending on funerals and other non-essential social events.
Other dignitaries at the event included Michael Kumi, Head of Finance and Administration at the Birim Central Municipal Directorate of Education, who pledged the directorate’s support, and Koomson Barnes, Headmaster of Attafuah Senior High/Technical School, who encouraged beneficiaries to return and help their community.
Haruna Amadu Zure, Municipal Coordinating Director and chair of the launch event, praised the initiative and urged for its expansion to cover more students across the Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area.
He also advised beneficiaries to pursue career-relevant courses to enhance employability after graduation.
