As Bishop Herman College (BIHECO) at Kpando in Ghana’s Volta Region marks 70 years next year, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Bishop Herman Old Boys Union (BHOBU) on Sunday, November 28, announced a five-year development plan.
As part of activities at the launching of the College’s 70th anniversary celebration at the Christ the King Parish Hall, Accra on Sunday, Dr. Setor Osae, National President of BHOBU said the plan, which is in three-fold, is geared towards the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the School in 2027.
According to him “in five years’ time, the School will be 75 years, hence NEC has put together a five-year development plan to restore Bishop Herman College (BIHECO) in the areas of academics, discipline and infrastructure.”
In the area of academics, he said BIHECANS had over the years excelled in all areas but currently the school has a glory to restore, calling for all hands to be on deck to bring back the school to its enviable academic records.
Dr. Osae was of the conviction that BIHECO would become greater again as the pride of the Volta Region, assuring that NEC, BHOBU, School Management and staff, students and BHOBU affiliates, would ensure this glory is restored.
He said to improve academics, there were plans also to invest in getting the right teachers for the school and motivate them to put in their best for academic excellence.
Another area, he said the five-year plan would critically focus on, is bringing back discipline in BIHECO, lamenting that the abolishment of caning in schools has become a cause of indiscipline among some students.
The BHOBU National President intimated that the motto of BIHECO: Sicut Miles Christi (As a Soldier of Christ) must be resurrected to instil discipline among students.
He recommended the bringing back of moral lessons in schools. “Inter houses cleaning competition should be restored back for discipline,” he added.
Touching on infrastructure as the final stage of the plan, which had been widely publicised in the media, Dr. Osae said “I believe that we can restore the infrastructure of the school but it takes money.
To achieve the three-fold areas of the five-year plan, he said BHOBU has a target of GHc2.5million to raise within the five year period with a yearly target of GHc500,000.
He said with the numerous challenges faced by the College established in 1952, and faced in the 21st Century, the Old Students are poised to support to reposition the school to continue to be a great Catholic Institution and to continue to be among the best ten Schools in Ghana.
Bishop Herman College was founded on February 28, 1952 at Kpando in the Volta Region of Ghana by the then Keta Diocese of the Catholic Church as a Boy’s Secondary Boarding School.
BIHECO as the School has come to be known, was named after Bishop Augustine Herman, a Frenchman who was Bishop of the Keta Diocese from 1923-1945.
Under the distinguished patronage of Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs and an Old Student, the year-long 70th anniversary is on the Theme: “70 Years of Excellence in Catholic Education.”
Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome, an old boy, chaired the launching and performed the launch of the 70th Anniversary on behalf of Togbe Tepre Hodo IV.
The celebration would feature events like anniversary lecture, medical and veterinary outreach, games, career and business day, Borborbor night, speech and prize giving, grand durbar and thanksgiving Mass to climax the anniversary.
Announcing the activities at the launching on Sunday, Mr. Edward Ayem, the BHOBU National General Secretary, said the Anniversary lecture dubbed “Priems/Elieza Memorial Lecture would be held on February 28th 2022 at the Christ the King Parish Hall, Cantonment, Accra while on July 9, 2022 BHOBU GAMES would be held at the Madina Astro Turf, Accra.
As part of the Anniversary climax in Kpando, there would be Medical and Veterinary Outreach at the Kpando township from November 21 to 23, 2022; Career and business day on November 24, 2022 on BIHECO Campus; borborbor night on November 25, 2022, also at BIHECO Campus.
On Saturday, November 26, 2022, there would be Speech and Prize Giving Day and Anniversary Durbar. A thanksgiving Mass would be held at BIHECO on Sunday, November 27, 2022.
In his remarks as the Chairman of the 70th Anniversary Launch, Mr. Woyome, a Ghanaian businessman par excellence, said Bishop Herman thrives on healthy competition, averring that being a College did not come by mistake but for a purpose, hence, centering the School on rock top.
Reminiscing, he said, it was a meaningful training for all who attended BIHECO as the School was for all people of diverse levels.
“In Bishop Herman, we are taught morals and discipline,” Mr. Woyome stressed, noting, everything about BIHECO was a good story to tell because, the School has contributed to national building and churn out incorruptible people who are in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial arms of government.
On the activities of the anniversary, he urged all BHOBUs and friends to patronize them as well as support financially in the growth of the School,
“We shouldn’t fail in our responsibility to lift the image of BIHECO,” Mr. Woyome said, stressing, “Your contributions should be in appreciation for your training in BIHECO no matter how you passed through.”
Mr. Francis Dominic Kofi Kudolo, Headmaster of the College, said it had seen steady rise in its academic results and was the first topmost school in the Region in 2011.
He appealed to the Old Boys Union to assist the College as the College had experienced some infrastructural developments defects including classroom blocks and dormitories.
At the end of the fund raising as part of the launch, GHc255, 000 was raised towards the five-year plan.
BIHECO has also produced a number of prominent Ghanaians ranging from Bishop Emeritus of Ho, Francis Lodonu, veteran movie star Gavivina Tamakloe, Ghanaian Musician Edem, former Chief Executive of COCOBOD Tony Fofie, TV3 host of Date Rush programme, Giovanni Caleb.
