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22 years of impactful service …Ebenezer Otoo initiates transformational projects
He started as a young teacher and was perhaps not certain what his professional life had in store for him. But with constant improvement, his 22 years of impactful service paid off last month when he was adjudged the 2021 National Most Outstanding Teacher. Clearly not obstructed by roadblocks, his journey had been fueled by commitment to excellence and the desire to transform young people positively through the educational system.
The Spectator, in a recent conversation, delved into some aspects of the life and career of Mr. Ebenezer Kojo Otoo as he highlighted projects he intends to execute in the years ahead.
Education
The Head of the Visual Arts Department at Winneba Secondary School in the Central Region grabbed the ultimate prize on his first attempt at the national contest. Born at Essikado in the Western Region, he started basic education at Pomase near Anomabo in the Central Region and continued at Well Road Methodist Primary School at Sekondi in the Western Region.
After completing Ketan Methodist Junior High School, he had wanted to study Business but had to settle for Visual Arts at Ahantaman Senior Secondary. In 1997, he gained admission to Enchi College of Education and obtained Teachers’ Certificate ‘A’ three years later.
At age 22, he was posted to Abuesi M/A Primary School in the Shama District in the Western Region where he served two years and was transferred to Old Hospital Junior High School at Sekondi. Determined to upgrade himself, he first obtained Diploma in Basic Education at the University of Cape Coast in 2004 and went further to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in the same field at University of Cape Coast in 2007. Between 2004 and 2008, he obtained another Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education at University of Education Winneba (UEW) and was posted to Winneba Secondary School where he has been teaching for the past 13 years.
Impact
Throughout his career Mr Otoo, nicknamed ‘Prof’, had been actively involved in extracurricular activities, serving in different capacities as Sports Master and Red Cross Coordinator in his catchment area.
Aside his passion for drama and cultural activities, he has trained a number of young athletes to attain sporting laurels in his jurisdiction and beyond.
“I always want to make an impact in many schools as possible that is why I spent at most two years in every school I was posted to but I ended up spending a longer time at Winneba Secondary School,” he said.
Seemingly impressed with his contributions so far, he said he was focused on training students to become “critical thinkers” and that was evident in the 100 per cent score most of his Visual Arts students obtained in their final examination. “Last year, 16 out of 44 students had ‘A1’ in one of my subjects. 15 students had ‘B2’; 10 had ‘B3’ and the rest had ‘C4’ to ‘C6’ and the performance keeps improving every year,” he noted.
Prior to winning the Outstanding Teacher Prize, Mr. Otoo had obtained Master of Education (Administration in Higher Education) at University of Cape Coast and said he was on course to securing Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Art Education.
Art Education
He observed that art education had, over the years, been erroneously considered the preserve of students with “weak grades” and has, therefore, stressed the need for stakeholders to help change the narrative.
“Technical and vocational training are the basic brains of the economy so let’s push students with the best grades to this field and give them the same level of attention given to the Arts and Sciences,” he emphasised. Projects As of Saturday, November 27, 2021, Mr Otoo had visited the northern, middle and southern belts to share his experience with other teachers and encourage BECE candidates to give of their best during the examination.
He is on a mission to adopt some “least performing schools” across the country and help students in selected schools improve on their academic performance.
In addition to setting up a Mobile Library to facilitate studies, Mr Otoo again wants to establish a Hall of Fame for all secondary schools in Ghana where educational achievements of the institutions and individuals would be etched in the form of art. He further solicits support to establish a well-resourced Ceramics Studio for Winneba Secondary School as well as build a “Human Rehabilitation Centre” in the Effutu Municipality.
“I am looking at a fiveyear period for this project and a couple of others and I will need the support of other individuals and organisations to start at least 20 of the Hall of Fames in each region by January 2022,” he said.
Other engagements
Apart from teaching, Mr. Otoo who turns 45 in a few months is a tour operator and a part-time farmer also.
In 2017, he won the Best Livestock Farmer in the Effutu Municipality and was, in 2020, adjudged the overall best farmer (second runner up) for his contribution to poultry farming, livestock rearing and vegetable production.
The experienced Educationist maintained that the teaching field was a rewarding venture and, therefore, encouraged teachers to adopt modern teaching approaches and do their best at all times, irrespective of the challenges.
While advising students to follow their passion and take advantage of learning opportunities, he urged the government to address the challenges of teachers and resource institutions that lagged behind. Mr. Otoo is married to Madam Paulina Enyoman Koomson, an Education Administrator at College of Distance and e-learning (CoDEL), UEW, Asante Mampong Campus. They have four children.
Having authored his maiden book titled “Winning The Teacher Prize: The Inside Out,’ he acknowledged the immense support he continues to receive from staff members, friends and family, including that of Apostle Emmanuel Dugan, Head Pastor, Supernatural Life Bible Church, at Winneba.
By Ernest Nutsugah
He once sold kenkey to pay his school fees, and now wears the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police. DCOP Kofi Sarpong, police officer and award winning gospel musician is charting a journey few could script.
In an interview with The Spectator chronicling his rise, the newly promoted DCOP took us on his journey through the ranks.
Early Life
“I was born in Berekum in the Bono Region, then Brong Ahafo, to Comfort Yeboah, affectionately called Maame Yaa, and the late Chief Inspector Kofi Sarpong,” he said.
His family story is one of resilience. His mother had two children before her husband died in an accident. She later married Kofi Sarpong’s father, a police officer, and had two more, himself and his junior brother. “So we are four, unfortunately one is deceased, just last year, so we are three now.”
School and struggle
He started at Berekum Methodist Primary under the old ‘Sito’ system. In Form Two, he moved to Obuasi to stay with a guardian for his Form Three education, then returned to Berekum for Form Four. He later attended Berekum Senior High School where he studied General Arts and shone as an athlete, a sprinter in the 100m, 200m and 4x400m relay.
After O-Levels, his batch was the last to write the exams, his dream was to become a teacher because of his love for children. But financial hardship forced a detour.
“I decided to help myself by going to buy maize and started preparing kenkey to sell at lorry parks and markets in Berekum,” he recalled.
According to him, the people from Berekum know this story. “I can make all types of kenkey, Fante Kenkey, Ga Komi and others. Don’t be surprised to see Kofi Sarpong Kenkey one day.” The proceeds paid his upkeep.
For this reason, he advised the youth “Don’t see life as a smooth journey but find something prudent to do to help yourself in difficult times.”
After grinding his education to a halt due to financial challenges, he now holds a Degree in Public Administration from GIMPA, a Master’s in International Relations and Diplomacy and Project Management, plus other higher certificates, with more in the offing.
The Police Call
When teaching did not materialise immediately, he moved to stay with his father at Osu, Accra. In 1994, he visited former IGP Nana Owusu-Nsia at Police Headquarters, who told about ongoing police enlistment.
In his head he declined, but outwardly he accepted to try reluctantly. Later, watching TV news and seeing long queues of young people aspiring to join the Police, he was inspired to reconsider.
He went to Berekum for his certificate. Accra enlistment had closed, so he joined the Kumasi exercise. He was selected, passed the exams and went to the Koforidua Police Training School, Galloway. After passing out, he was posted to the Logistics Unit at Police Headquarters.
At Headquarters, a senior officer encouraged young constables to further their education. He took a course in Purchasing and Supply via distance learning from a UK institution. 
Upon completion, the Police administration promoted him from Constable Class One to Chief Inspector, a leap that paved the way for him to enrol at the Police Academy. He graduated as ASP, and the climb to DCOP began.
“The officer corps starts from Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) from the cadet,” he explained. “When you graduate from the Police Academy, you are awarded ASP, and you move to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), that’s when I released album to start my music career professionally.”
From there, he rose to Superintendent of Police (SP), Chief Superintendent, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), and now Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP). Next is Commissioner of Police (COP).
Music found him in Sudan
On peacekeeping duty in Sudan, officers from different nations came together to hold fellowship led by a Nigerian officer. In December that year, with top-ranked officers present, Kofi Sarpong led the service to the admiration of all.
On his return to Ghana, a Colonel, who was a Matron at 37 Military Hospital and a member of the 37 Methodist-Presbyterian Church invited him to their harvest service. He ministered, and as he stepped out of church, a man approached him with an offer to record him. He declined.
Days later, at the office, the man, Ernest Kwesi, who owned Media Excel Production sent an elderly man to pursue him. He still declined. This compelled Ernest Kwesi himself to visit him at the office. “He told me he had seen something in me.”
Just after Ernest Kwesi left,Kofi Sarpong wrote to then Director General/Welfare, Mohammed Alhassan, and Paul Tawiah Quaye the Inspector General of Police (IGP) at the time. “He opened the letter and said he had been waiting all this while because he had seen me perform at police officers’ events.”
He was summoned to the IGP’s office, a call which scared him, however, it was a good news; his request was approved. Against this backdrop, he informed Ernest Kwesi who quickly visited that evening with highlife musician Akwaboah Jnr., who taught him his first song, ‘Me ko nso hw3 mu’, and they went to the studio.
A song earlier recorded in reggae by Zapp Mallet was totally transformed by Nacee, so they released both versions on the album. Nacee, he says, hugely supported promotion, as did Mark Okraku-Mantey.
He also acknowledge Oware Jnr. who also wrote songs for him.
After his maiden album’s success, police leadership congratulated him. He says he is happy to have inspired other officers to write to the Service to pursue other interests.
An autobiography, he reveals, is in the offing.
Family and food
He is married to Mrs Salomey Sarpong with three children, two boys and a girl: Nana Nketiah, Maame Afia Yeboah Sarpong and Papa Kwabena Aseda Sarpong.
His hobbies are watching athletics and being with family. His favourite foods are fufu and konkonte with groundnut soup.
On music, he teased a collaboration with a top Nigerian artiste, promising fans “hot praises” soon.
He concluded by thanking Ghanaians for their support since his promotion, and thanked the Inspector General of Police for his guidance.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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WHEN some of her pupils failed to show up at school, Mary Adotei did not always assume they were absent. Sometimes, she went looking for them.
In the communities where she taught, getting a child into the classroom could require more than preparing lessons. Mrs Adotei remembers occasions when she had to visit the homes of pupils, bathe them, prepare them and bring them to school herself.
“There were times I had to go to the homes of some of the children, bathe them and bring them to school,” she recalled.
It is a memory that captures much of her journey over the years as a teacher, a profession she entered without knowing it would become central to her identity.
Now, after years of working with children and communities, Mrs Adotei is taking lessons from the classroom into a new arena.
She is contesting the position of Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa (AOB) Constituency in the Central Region, hoping to use her experience working with people to contribute to the welfare of women in the constituency.
But her story begins in the classroom.
After completing her basic and secondary education, Mrs Adotei spent 12 years working as a pupil teacher before she had the opportunity to receive professional training.
In 2006, she entered Fosu College of Education and completed her training in 2011 with a Diploma in Basic Education.
She returned to the classroom and has remained there since, teaching in different communities before moving to her current school, Catholic Boys Basic School in Breman Asikuma, in 2019.
The years have given her a front-row seat to the transformation education can bring.
Some of the children she once taught have grown into professionals, carrying the lessons they learnt in her classroom into hospitals, schools, offices and other workplaces.
Mrs Adotei said she had encountered former pupils who were now doctors, nurses, teachers and even a lawyer.
For a teacher, she said, such moments bring a special kind of satisfaction and reinforce the reason she remains passionate about education.
Her journey, however, has not been without difficult moments.
Teaching in local communities sometimes meant dealing with circumstances that went beyond academic work. Some pupils needed encouragement, personal attention and practical help before they could even settle down to learn.
Those experiences taught her that the challenges confronting people cannot always be solved from a distance. That understanding has followed her into her political activities.
Mrs Adotei has been involved in the NDC for years and previously served as a branch treasurer. She has also supported women in her branch, including assisting some to access medical treatment and providing help to families when the need arose.
She is now making her third attempt at becoming the constituency’s Women’s Organiser.
Her motivation is linked to what she has seen around her.
Mrs Adotei wants women in the constituency to have access to skills and opportunities that can help them become more economically independent.
She believes her years as a teacher have prepared her for the work, too, because the profession has taught her to listen, communicate, understand different circumstances and work patiently with people.
For her, the transition from teacher to political organiser is therefore not a complete departure from the path she has followed.
The classroom taught her to work with individuals. Politics, she hopes, will give her the opportunity to work with a wider group of women.
If elected, Mrs Adotei intends to continue teaching while taking up her political responsibilities. She said she would organise her time to attend meetings and constituency activities without abandoning her duties to her pupils.
Away from school and politics, she is a wife and mother of two sons who are pursuing their degrees at university.
Her message to young girls is shaped by everything she has seen education do for the children she has taught.
For Mrs Adotei, education remains one of the strongest tools available to young people, especially girls seeking to build better futures.
She wants them to stay in school, pursue further education and acquire skills that will prepare them for the future.
“Nowadays, you cannot go forward without education,” she said.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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