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Pres Akufo-Addo celebrates Mfantsipim School for winning 2024 NSMQ
•The Mfantsipim winning trio with the 2024 NSMQ trophy
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has applauded the Mfantsipim School on its victory in the 2024 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ).
“It is well deserved,” he stated, adding that he was looking forward to officially host the champions at the Jubilee House, Accra.
The President, in a Facebook post, recognised the NSMQ winners for their hard work and determination that ensured victory for the school after failing to clinch the topmost award of the competition in the last 10 years.
“Warmest congratulations to the gentlemen from ‘The School’, Mfantsipim, on emerging victorious in this year’s National Science and Maths Quiz competition,” the President emphasised.
The Cape Coast-based school left it late to claim the title in this year’s contest, as it had to wait till the last round in order to realise its dream.
Mfantsipim emerged as winners with 47 points, reclaiming the title it won in 2014, and followed closely by another Cape Coast-based school, St. Augustine’s College, with 46 points, and Keta SHTS finishing as the second runners-up with 33 points.
The champions, who won the competition for the first time in 1999, received gold medals and cash prize of GHȻ70,000.
St. Augustine’s College was also presented with silver medals and GHȻ50,000 cash, while Keta SHTS had bronze medals and GHȻ35,000 cash.
A record 157 schools competed in the 2024 edition of the NSMQ national championship.
The National Science and Maths Quiz is an annual science and mathematics content-based national level quiz competition for Senior High Schools in Ghana.
The yearly competition is produced by Primetime Limited, an education-interest advertising and public relations agency, since 1993.
The objective is to promote the study of the sciences and mathematics, help students develop quick thinking and a probing and scientific mind about the everyday world around them, while fostering healthy academic rivalry among the participating schools.
On the list of top winners are the Presbyterian Boys SHS (Presec Legon), which has won eight times, followed by Prempeh College, with a total of five trophies, and St. Peter’s Boys SHS with three trophies.
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa