Dr Kwabena Bempah Tandoh, a former Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), has finally put to rest the long-standing public scepticism regarding the educational background of the NPP’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.

For years, social media and political circles have buzzed with debate over whether Chairman Wuntomi truly walked the hallowed halls of the Kumasi-based school as he claims.

But Dr Tandoh, speaking with the authority of a fellow 'Amanfour' (as Prempeh College alumni are known), ended the conjecture by revealing that their bond dates back to their very first year.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Personality Profile on Friday, February 27, Dr Tandoh provided a definitive eyewitness account of Wontumi’s time at the prestigious Prempeh College, revealing that the two were not only in the same year group but also shared the same sleeping quarters.

Dorm 7: The shared history

“I know in this country people are always wondering whether Wontumi went to Prempeh College. Wontumi was my mate. We went into Form One together. Not only was he my classmate, but he was actually my dorm mate,” Dr Tandoh revealed.

The duo belonged to Aggrey House, where they specifically shared Dorm 7, a period Dr Tandoh credits for developing "great friendships" that have sustained them into their professional adult lives.

Dr Tandoh has not only cleared the air on a piece of political trivia but has also underscored the enduring influence of Ghana's traditional secondary school brotherhoods in national life.

The ‘Amanfoo’ spirit: A house built on loyalty

Beyond settling the Wontumi debate, Dr Tandoh used the platform to highlight the unique and intense loyalty shared by alumni of the school. He described an environment where seniority is respected regardless of age and where support for one another is unconditional.

Recounting a remarkable personal experience, Dr Tandoh shared how a senior colleague he had never met before facilitated his relocation to Ghana from the diaspora.

“When I was relocating to Ghana, my first home that I moved into, the entire one-year rent was paid for by a senior I didn’t know... He left Prempeh College some 15 years before I went there,” he shared.

The senior, identified as Senior Poku-Agyemang, not only secured a home for Dr Tandoh’s wife and children but also provided him with a car and fully paid insurance for a year.

Lessons beyond the classroom

For Dr Tandoh, the Prempeh College experience was defined by a philosophy of collective growth rather than individual success. He noted that the institution taught him to be "focused on growing people around me and supporting things around me."

The bond between the Amanfuo, he suggests, is a powerful social network that transcends political and professional boundaries.