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Mother shed tears as daughter grabs six awards at school’s anniversary ceremony
Mother of multiple award winner lies down flat. (Inset) Matilda
Make no mistake, this is not a push-up exercise. It is an expression of joy by a mother whose 17-year-old, Second Year science student, received six awards at the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Tema Methodist Day Senior High School (MEDASS).
Carried away by her daughter’s impressive performance, Mrs Beatrice Mensah Abugri dashed to the podium and went down on the carpet expressing uncontrollable joy before getting up to hug her ‘princess’.
Speaking in an interview with The Spectator, MrsAbugri said as she sat among other parents and watched Matilda Abugri’s name being mentioned subject after subject to come for an award, she felt so proud.
She said she had always known her daughter to be a devoted student who would even choose books over food, but had least expected that she would perform at such level.
At the third award, she went straight to hug her daughter and walked away with tears of joy flowing freely.
Mrs. Abugri, a Seamstress, recalled how her daughter was rejected at her preferred schools.
“She was devastated and so as a mother, I talked to her and prayed fervently to accept the school offered her,”she said.
She said her daughter had always wanted to go to a boarding school so when the news came that she had been given a day school, it was a big blow to her and the entire family.
MrsAbugri said she was happy her efforts had paid off and was optimistic about better days ahead for her daughter.
According to her Matilda, being the first of her five children, had successfully raised the bar on academics and morality in their home, and hoped that the other children will emulate her good example.
The proud mother disclosed that her daughter, a former student of Leostar International School at Washington in the Kpone-Katamanso District of the Greater Accra Region, was always regular and punctual at school.
The multiple award- winning student said she was determined to work harder to be able to excel academically and be a motivation to many students.
Matilda Abugri was among a total of 65 students whoreceived awards in various classes and subjects at the MEDASS.
The theme for the occasion was “Quality infrastructural development for a sustainable and impactful education -the role of stakeholders.”
The President of the school’s Old Student’s Association, MrRichmond John Aseeph, said infrastructure had been a challenge for the school throughout its existence, and urged philanthropists to come to the aid of the school.
He called on the old students, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and all stakeholders to support the school in the construction of an auditorium estimated at GhȻ125million to address their infrastructural challenges.
The building, when completed, would have classrooms, canteen, laboratory, assembly hall, among others.
From DzifaTettehTay, Tema.
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
