Apam Senior High School is a second cycle institution located at Apam in the Gomoa West District of Ghana’s Central Region.
The public senior high school was established in 1953 at Paado’s Plains at Apam as a day school, under the management of Rev. J.W Degraft Johnson and Mr. Arthur Hesse as the only teacher.
In 1960, the school relocated to its present site, with a grand opening ceremony by Lord Listowel, the last Governor of the then Gold Coast, now Ghana. The development of the school that led to the adoption of the name Great Apass was achieved under the leadership of late Dr. Peter Augustus Owiredu. He took over as the headmaster from Rev. Degraft-Johnson from 1959 to 1979.
By 1964, the school had moved from day to boarding school and had introduced Advanced Level Subjects in the Arts and Sciences in addition to the Ordinary Level courses it offered.
The mixed school (both boys and girls) has its motto to be; “Obra pa gya Owura kwan”.
The school has trained many prominent personalities who have distinguished themselves in society.
A few have been highlighted below:
His Lordship Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah
His Lordship Kwasi Anin-Yeboah is Ghana’s current Chief Justice and 14th occupant as substantive Chief Justice since Ghana gained Independence in 1957.
Born in Toase in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, Justice Anin-Yeboah attended Amaniampong Senior High School in Ashanti Region, and Apam Senior High School for his GCE Ordinary and Advanced Level Certificates. He then proceeded to University of Ghana and then to Ghana School of law where he passed his professional exams and was called to the bar.
After law school, he served as Assistant State Attorney at the Attorney General’s Office in Koforidua. He later was partner at Afisem Chambers also in Koforidua and became the Eastern Regional Bar Association President.
Justice Anin-Yeboah served as high court judge from 2002 to 2003 and Appeal Court judge from 2003 till 2008 when he was appointed a justice of the Supreme Court.
His name is also synonymous with football bringing his legal experience to bear both on the local and international level. He served as Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the Eastern Region Football Association and at the National level, serving on the Disciplinary and Appeals Committees of the Ghana Football Association(GFA). He has also served in the CAF/FIFA Reform Implementation Taskforce Team for African Football.
Justice Anin-Yeboah was first appointed as a member of FIFA Ethics Committee until in 2017 at FIFA Congress in Bahrain, he made history with his appointment as Chair of the Disciplinary Committee at FIFA.
He served at the world’s football governing body till he resigned to assume role as leader of Ghana’s Judiciary.
In 2019, he was nominated by Ghana’s President Akufo-Addo to assume role as Chief Justice and was subsequently approved by Ghana’s Parliament after vetting. He was sworn in on January 7, 2020.
David Dontoh
Veteran Ghanaian Actor and Television Personality, David Dontoh popularly known as “Ghanaman” is also an old student of Apam Senior High School. It was during his days at Apam where he started active acting in drama plays/productions. He also studied Drama and Theatre Arts at the School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana.
As a member of the Obra Drama Group, his name “Ghanaman” was as a result of his role in the popular “Obra” show. Obra which means “Life” was a local drama/comedy series which was aired by the state Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). He acted lead alongside another veteran, Grace Omaboe who also got the name Maame Dokono from the same show.
David Dontoh has starred in several classic/hit movies, shorts, and theater plays to include “Kukurantumi: Road To Accra”, Heritage Africa, Deadly Voyage, No Time To Die, Beasts of No Nation, Ties that bind.
Mr Dontoh was also known for hosting popular TV quiz program Agoro (Play) with participants answering questions on Ghana’s culture, language and history.
The ECRAG Winner also established three theatre groups to support upcoming actors. These were Kozikozi Theatre Company, Edzikanfo Concert Party and David Dontoh Cultural Ensemble.
He is currently the board chairman of the National Film Authority.
Dr. Ishmael Yamson
A former board chair of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Dr. Ishmael Yamson is an old student of Apam Senior High School.
He graduated from University of Ghana with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics in 1966 and joined the then UAC Ltd, a subsidiary of Unilever Plc.
Dr. Ishmael Yamson has over four decades of experience in Corporate Management. He is a leader in Strategic Management, and a much sought after advisor by Government institutions and the Private sector in Ghana and the sub region.
In 1983, he became Chairman of UAC Tanzania, becoming the first African Chairman of any Unilever outside his home country. In 1986, exactly 20 years after joining the , he became Chairman of UAC Ghana and in 1992 became Chairman, Unilever Ghana.
Dr. Ishmael Yamson brought his wealth of experience to bear as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Standard Chartered Bank Ghana, Mantrac Ghana Ltd, Unilever Ghana Ltd and a Non-Executive Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc.
He is also the Chairman of Ishmael Yamson & Associates, a consultancy firm which focuses on providing value-driven strategic management through the provision of leadership training and development programmes, organisational renewal and corporate advisory services.
At the national level, he has been Chairman of the University of Ghana Council and Board Member of Ghana’s Central Bank. He has also been President of Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, President of Ghana Employers’ Association and President of Private Enterprise Foundation, Ghana.
Emeritus Professor Kobina Yankson
Emeritus Kobina Yankson was a Professor of Zoology and Former Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast.
An old student of Apam Senior High School, he obtained his BSc and MSc degrees in Zoology from the University of Cape Coast. He obtained his PhD in Zoology from the University of Wales in the United Kingdom.
He became Dean of the Faculty of Science and Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast. He also served as the University’s Director of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance.
Prof. Emeritus Yankson was cited in “Who is Who” in Science and Technology Education in Africa (1997), selected as “Man of the Year” by the American Biographical Institute in 1998, a fellow of the Darwin Initiative, UK (1999). He is a Fulbright Scholar and listed among the leading scientists of the world in 2008 by the International Biographical Center, Cambridge, UK amongst others.
He is celebrated for his contribution and impact in the Marine Ecology, Aquaculture, Fisheries sector and the University of Cape Coast.
He died last year (2021) and the father of Joy FM’s super morning show host Kojo Yankson.
Professor Charles Barnor
Prof. Charles Barnor is a Professor of Finance and Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University for Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) since January 1, 2017.
An old boy of Apam Senior High School, he obtained a BSc Business Administration (Banking and Finance) from the University of Ghana. He holds a double Masters degree; MBA in Finance and MBA in Professional Accountancy all from the University of Canberra, Australia). He obtained his PhD in Finance from the Walden University in USA.
A member of the Chartered Practicing Accountants in Australia (CPA), he is a fellow of the Institute of Professional Financial Managers (IPFM).
Until his position as Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Barnor was the Dean of the Faculty of Accounting and Finance, and the Founding Head of Department (HOD) of Banking and Finance of the institution. He has led with the development of several programmes/courses for the University (Undergraduate and Postgraduate) and enhanced faculty professional development as Dean.
With his cumulative wealth of experience in Academia in Australia and Ghana, as Adjunct Tutor in International Finance, Strategy and Portfolio Management at University of Canberra and UPSA, he is also a Certified Commonwealth Distance Learning Expert and Organizational Strategic Analyst.
A former National Scrabble Champion and National Table Tennis Player, Prof. Barnor is also a former president of University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG -UPSA Branch). He was active in spearheading the migration of the public universities into the single spine salary structure.
Professor Ato Quayson
Ato Quayson is a Professor of English at Stanford University and an Interdisciplinary Scholar.
An old student of Apam Senior High School, he obtained a first class in English and Arabic from the University of Ghana in 1989, and a PhD in English from University of Cambridge in 1995.
He went to Oxford University as a Junior Research Fellow, before returning to his alma mater as a fellow at Pembroke College at Cambridge University, to become Reader in Commonwealth and Postcolonial Literature as member of faculty. He was also the Director of the Center for African Studies.
Prior to Stanford, he was Professor of African and Postcolonial Literature at New York University (NYU) from 2017-2019 and Professor of English and Inaugural Director of the Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies at the University of Toronto (2005-2017).
He was also Member of the European Research Council (2010-2017), and has also held Fellowships at the Du Bois Institute for African American Studies at Harvard (2004), and the Research Centre in the Humanities at Australian National University (2015). He was the 2011-2012 Cornille Visiting Professor in the Humanities at Wellesley College and is founding editor of The Cambridge Journal of Postcolonial Literary Inquiry.
Prof. Quayson has lectured widely in Africa, Europe, Canada, the United States, Singapore, Turkey, Hong Kong, Australia, amongst others.
He was President of the African Studies Association, a fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, and correspondong fellow of the British Academy.
The eminent academic has written and edited several books, publications, journals to include the recent “Tragedy and Postcolonial Literature”.
Kojo Armah
Hon. Kojo Armah was a Ghanaian Diplomat, Lawyer, Politician and Educationist.
He was a member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and was a two time Member of Parliament for the Evalue Ajomoro Gwira Constituency in the Western part of Ghana. This was from 1997 to 2001 and 2005 to 2009. He also served as Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Nzeman East from 2001 to 2005.
Born in Axim in the Western part of Ghana, he attended Apam Senior High School in the Central Region for his Ordinary and Advanced level certificates. He proceeded to the University of Ghana and graduated with a BA degree in Political Science, and a Postgraduate diploma in Education at University of Cape Coast.
Mr. Armah taught at Nsein Senior High School and Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS).
He later took up an appointment with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embarked on several diplomatic missions. He obtained a diploma in French Literature and Civilization from the University of Tours in Touraine, France and a Diploma in Public Administration at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
Hon. Armah was transfered to the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board as an Administrative Secretary and was promoted to the position of Deputy Director at the office of the Head of Civil Service.
He enrolled in Law School and was called to the bar and later retired from public service into private practice and politics.
He died in May 2014.
Nana Kwame Kuffour
Nana Kwame Kufour also known as Mohammed Tuah Khamis after he converted to Islam is a Ghanaian footballer.
Born in Nyakrom in the Agona West district of the Central Region of Ghana, he attended Apam Senior High School for his senior secondary education.
In addition to playing for his school as attacking midfielder, he led his Apam side to a third place finish in the prestigious VALCO Senior High School Tournament, a national competition in 2002.
He has also played in Ghana’s youth national teams, Super Rainbows, Liberty Professionals, Accra Hearts of Oak and DC United in Washington, USA.
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