Businessman and Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Sam Jonah, has paid a glowing tribute to Mfantsipim School, describing its 150-year legacy as extraordinary and central to Ghana’s development, while reflecting on the enduring rivalry between the school and Adisadel College.

Speaking at the launch of Mfantsipim’s 150th anniversary at the Palms Convention Center on Saturday, April 11, he framed the long-standing competition between the two institutions as one rooted in mutual respect rather than hostility.

“Rivalry at its best, ladies and gentlemen, is respect wearing a competitive mask,” he said, drawing applause from the audience.

He recounted the historical context of the school’s founding, noting that when the Methodist missionaries established the institution, modern Ghana had not yet been formed, and many technological advancements of today were yet to emerge.

“The motor car had not yet been invented. The telephone was brand new. The electric light bulb was just three years away. And yet, on that hill, men of vision decided that what Africa desperately needed was education,” he said.

According to him, that vision has produced generations of leaders across various fields, including statesmen, academics, entrepreneurs, and diplomats, highlighting the late Kofi Annan as one of the school’s most distinguished alumni.

Mr Jonah, an old student of Adisadel College, acknowledged the fierce but historic rivalry between the two schools, noting that it has driven excellence on both sides.

“Adisadel pushed harder because Mfantsipim existed. Mfantsipim raised the standards because Adisadel was breathing down its neck, and Ghana is richer for both of us,” he said.

In a rare gesture, he openly saluted Mfantsipim, admitting that such recognition does not often come easily between the two rival institutions.

“I do what I suspect no Santa Clausian has done in over a century — I salute you. Genuinely, warmly, and only slightly reluctantly,” he added.

He expressed hope that the school would continue to produce men of impact and remain a beacon of education and leadership for generations to come.