Cape Coast and Back by STC | Features

On Friday, twenty fifth November 2022, my “Supervisor” and I travelled to Cape Coast by State Transport Company (STC) and returned to Accra on Monday, twenty eighth November 2022. Our journey by STC introduced again fond recollections of our secondary college days.

Within the mid-Nineteen Sixties into the Seventies once we travelled to highschool in Cape Coast and again dwelling on holidays on specifically designated buses to varsities, we did so by “Authorities Transport,” STC’s maiden identify. To say such travels had been enjoyable can be an understatement. We transformed our journey into carnivals-on-wheels, with loads of singing and merry-making. Winneba round-about supplied its speciality of “akrantie-kebab” (grass-cutter kebab).

So, what took us to Cape Coast?

Earlier than that, the drive to and from Cape Coast had been each good with very skilled and well mannered drivers, confirming what some colleagues had beforehand skilled with STC.

Funerals

We went for the 2 funerals of a 95-year father of one in every of “Supervisor’s” classmates of Holy Baby Previous College students Affiliation (HOPSA) 1972, and that of an 85 year-old HOPSAN in-law.

Described as a humble, amiable and humorous outdated man, Uncle Ato served in varied elements of Ghana initially as a Laboratory Technologist and later as an auditor. His funeral was a easy, “all-white” affair each for Saturday and Sunday devoid of any extravagances. It is because it was extra a constructive celebration of his life, than the same old forlorn and morose mourning in black garments.

The classmates had been there of their numbers, having are available a bus they rented from Accra. So had been members of the deceased’s Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Sakumono-Accra, and from all elements of the nation the place the outdated man served. The Knights and Girls of Marshal had been abundantly current.

Internet hosting/Camaraderie

Most likely due to nationwide occasions like PANAFEST and “The 12 months of Return,” Cape Coast abounds with motels and Visitor-houses. For our go to nonetheless, “Supervisor” and I had been hosted by her HOPSA 1972 classmate, by the way married to my classmate!

JB and I had been among the many 105 little boys who had been admitted to the Kwabotwe Hill of Mfantsipim College, Cape Coast in 1965. Borrowing from Kwaw Ansah’s legendary movie/film of 1980, “Love Brewed within the African Pot,” a buddy teasingly requested if the 2 marriages between us classmates had been “Love Brewed within the Cape-Coast Pot,” once we had been college students.

Mentioning Kwaw Ansah jogs my memory of the character in “Love Brewed within the African Pot,” who anglicized his Ghanaian identify Kwesi Atta Bosumefi, to Quincy Arthur Bosomfield to replicate his new standing as an informed particular person!

By the way, my classmate JB who practised as an Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (O & G) for over forty years abroad, and I had not met one-on-one as we did over the weekend, since we parted firm for the Medical College and the Army Academy within the early Seventies. There was subsequently quite a bit to compensate for.

Dinner & Pleasure

After the burial on Saturday, our host/hostess handled all of us classmates to an exquisite dinner of their dwelling. The camaraderie and conviviality we shared had been most refreshing. It jogged my memory of the English poet William Wordsworth’s well-known quote;

“The kid is the daddy of the person” in his 1802 poem, “My Coronary heart Leaps” or just “Rainbow.”

As a baby, Wordsworth sighted the rainbow within the sky which stuffed him with immeasurable pleasure. Years later as an grownup, he continued to expertise the identical pleasure he did as baby. He believed he would proceed having fun with the rainbow until he died.

Like Wordsworth’s pleasure at seeing the rainbow, whereas the women chatted, sang and laughed heartily about their keep at school as women, JB and I reminisced our days as little boys at school.

These had been our adolescence and averagely, as little eleven-thirteen yr olds, most of us met at school, leaving dwelling for the primary time. Rising up collectively, bonds made would final a lifetime as all of us demonstrated that Saturday night time.

Cape Coast

Cape Coast, typically referred to as the “training capital” of Ghana due to its excessive variety of secondary colleges, is busier now than it was. Whereas the hilly “down-town” Cape Coast has no room for growth, the outskirts have seen some growth with new buildings and constructions like the brand new Cape Coast Stadium.

Intakes into the secondary colleges in addition to the college have all at the least doubled.

The highway from Accra by way of Cape Coast to Takoradi, nonetheless stays the identical one-lane “face-me-I-face-you” highway. Accidents have just about grow to be routine with many casualties.

On twelfth August 2022, twelve lives had been misplaced in a gory accident at Komenda Junction. Earlier on thirteenth January 2020, after the same accident in the identical space had claimed over twenty lives, the phrase “dualise” was launched into Ghanaian highway site visitors vocabulary when a authorities official introduced that every one trunk roads can be “dualised” from the present singe lane scenario to stop head-on collisions.

Feedback

For the 2 STC drivers Mr Amponsah who drove us to Cape Coast and continued to Takoradi, and Mr Ayila who drove us again to Tema, I say thanks. Nicely achieved to you and to the State Transport Company for coaching/producing such good drivers many Ghanaians communicate properly of, and are happy with.

To our classmates JB and “Child,” God bless you for being such great host/hostess.

To the authorities, your promise to “dualise” our trunk roads to avoid wasting Ghanaians from head-on collisions continues to be excellent.

Could the souls of Mr Sylvester Danquah-Smith (Uncle Ato), and Mrs Francisca Otoo RIP!

Management, lead!

Fellow Ghanaians, WAKE UP!

Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd)

Former CEO, African Peace Assist Trainers Affiliation

Nairobi, Kenya

Council Chairman

Household Well being College School,

Accra                                                                               

[email protected]