Harmony makes us successful; variety makes us strong.
Notwithstanding the absence of a school field, Ebenezer Secondary School was a power house in athletics. Ebenezer dominated in the High Jump, Discus, and Hurdles. Ebenezer also dominated in football (soccer) and in field hockey and produced some of Ghana’s finest sportsmen like Anue Coffie, Abeka Ankrah, Joe Lartey, Bannerman Afful, Paul Annan, popularly called “Adwoa Panther,” of Accra Hearts of Oak fame. In fact the list is endless.
Thanks to “Tsoolor”, who selected and trained all the school sportsmen, but greater thanks go to the Spiritual Father of the school, Mr. Emmanuel Adamah Armah, who was the “High Priest” of the school.
He wasn’t a sportsman himself but a spiritual father of the school, invoking the spirit of the Patron Saint, “Padua” to guide and direct the sportsmen to win laurels for the school. That was how important he was to the school. Till today, about 95% of both current and old students don’t know why, and how Ebenezer Secondary School was nicknamed, “PADUA.” The name originated from Mr. Emmanuel Nii Adamah Armah, a student who entered the school in 1957 and completed in 1962. As a Catholic, Mr. Emmanuel Adamah Armah believed in the strength and powers of St. Anthony of Padua and he mostly used the name and the prayers of this powerful Saint in his prayers for the school sports teams in all competitions. Whether Saint Anthony of Padua, the Patron Saint was powerful or not was demonstrated in the numerous cups and other laurels won by the school. During these prayer sessions, he always chanted the phase “Saint Anthony of Padua.” This became a slogan even after the prayer session, and was also chanted on the sports fields. The slogan was so catchy and infectious that everybody in the school referred to the school as “Padua”. Emmanuel Nii Adamah Armah is now part of the school folklore, and this story must be told to all and sundry, especially the current students, so that they will be able to explain to their friends and colleagues in other schools how the name, Padua, originated and what it meant for the school. During the 75th Anniversary celebration of the school, there was a complete distortion of facts about how the name, Padua, originated. As old students of the school, this story will be told correctly henceforth, and we shall make sure the name of Emmanuel Adamah Armah is recognized in the annals of the school.
It is with profound grief that we pay this tribute to the memory of our Dear Old Boy, a great Paduan, Emmanuel Nii Adamah Armah, AKA Tojo. Mr. Emmanuel Nii Adamah Armah was a fine gentleman who talked passionately about the school. He was a deep fountainhead of spiritual knowledge and his memories will linger on. He was very thorough and spoke calmly with a lot of self-respect. We all bear witness of what hard work, dedication and living with the grace of God could do in one’s life as demonstrated by our beloved Mr. Emmanuel Nii Adamah Armah. He touched the school deeply in diverse ways. Nii’s departure has created a great void at Ebenezer. We have sorrow in our hearts, but we know that the Almighty God will keep him safely in his caring arms.
Gbomo kpakpa yaawo ojogbann!
THIS TRIBUTE WAS WRITTEN BY MARTERSON ARMAH AND EPHSON NII ODARTEI MILLS, IN COLLABORATION WITH MR. ABEKA ANKRAH.
MR. ABEKA ANRAH WAS AN OLD STUDENT OF EBENEZER SECONDARY SCHOOL. HE WAS ALSO A COLLEAGUE OF EMMANUEL NII ADAMAH ARMAH AND WITNESSED ALL THESE EVENTS ATTRIBUTED TO MR. ADAMAH ARMAH. HE NARRATED THE STORY PUT IN THE TRIBUTE AND MARTERSON ARMAH AND EPHSON MILL ACTED AS THE AMANUENSES WHO GAVE THIS TRIBUTE A LIFE. ABEKA ANKRAH WAS A BRILLIANT FOOTBALLER WHO WAS AN ASSET TO THE SCHOOL. HE PLAYED FOR ACCRA HEARTS OF OAK, REPUBLICANS FOOTBALL CLUB AND THE BLACK STARS IN THE LATE SIXTIES AND THE EARLY SEVENTIES. CURRENTLY HIS VISION IS PARTIALLY CHALLENGED. HE COULD BE REACHED ON THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS: 0243536246/0276903605