The story of the Baldy from mighty KWANJUSEC!

Before I tell my story, I feel obliged to respond to Alfred's post on why odadee.net was created. Everything he said kind of sounds grand and believable. After all, they are very good reasons we should connect as Odadees. For that reason, I entreat you all to read his post as well as the home page story on why we created this platform. But, I need to tell you the truth. I was tired of being picked on as Mr Baldy. Being the dreamer I am, I dreamt up sucking others into the fold – the club of the baldies and the big belly daddies. I obscured that fact by becoming Ananse and lured everyone with the fancy idea of building a website. And here we are; the guile of Ananse won the day. Now that you know the real reason behind the creation of the website, please upload your photos so I can climb up my web and have a good laugh. No wigs please! And oh, 1 more request, since I don’t have a nickname, with your permission I’d like to be known as Efoh Kobblah Ananse.

Officially though, I am Jones, Jones Amegbor. If you noticed a Bond-esque approach to my introduction, well done! You are in good company. Twenty four (24) years ago, I was a student Kwashieman Anglican JSS, affectionately known as KWANJUSEC. I was an alien by all account and the headmistress thought I was the most deluded student ever. She couldn’t understand why I’d choose PRESEC. Her most cogent argument was it is difficult enough for pupils from the elite schools to make the cut let alone……get the drift? We are talking about KWANJUSEC. Since I am here, it is obvious her machinations to get me enrolled into Accra Academy, Wesley Grammar or Agboodon Secondary School failed.

I arrived at PRESEC as a tiny and diffident 14year old. Luckily, I started as a day student before taking my place in my beloved Akro house, a year later. Even then, I still appeared as the weakling any one could pick on. Some of the biggest bullies at the time hated the fact that Papa Osheow, one of the house captains took me under his wings. Plus, they soon found out that I wasn’t a soft touch after all. I quickly leveraged being the exeat boy to my advantage. Hey, I am the exeat boy and therefore Paspatu’s boy. I had a first-class ticket to the feared Paspatu. Although, it did not stop me from performing ‘doma’ duties, I had a shield around me and I never had the need to seek an exeat to jet home.

My favourite joint at Presec was goase, the yam and chofie base. I hated gasso. Never had it! Although some say I am a shark I was a lazy student. Thankfully, I had friends around to drag me out of bed to Science-co! I hated the mosquito infested Science-co but I am glad I obliged. Contrary to my shark tag, I have forgotten so many faces and events. For example, I learnt the other day I was once nominated by some well-meaning friends for the post of class prefect but I had zero votes. I don’t remember it and I wonder who those well-meaning friends voted for. I however went on to become Assistant Library Prefect although I turned up for vetting without knowing who the school librarian was. How’s that possible? Remember, diffident and lazy! I was nominated against my will.

Well, I still turned out a fine young Christian gentleman. I navigated my way through UG and somehow manage to be elected as the President of the Business House (i.e. the JCR of the School of Admin). I took my role too seriously, raffled a few golden feathers and got threatened with expulsion by the Dons of UG. I also learnt ‘grades are awarded not earned’. I naively protested by not turning up for my graduation. Consequently, I missed out on what could have been one of the best days of my life and that of a very special friend. I disappeared to London, collected a couple of academic certificates and worked with some of the biggest banks in the world. Not being satisfied, I decided to go solo and have since worked on contracts as a consultant whilst building the next big African brand, watch this space!

If you are thinking, there’s something missing. It is deliberate. Family life and relationships haven’t been my forte. I missed out on visiting ABUGISS. So I missed some core Presec Lessons.

That’s my story! Watch out for a write up on my most memorable event on campus and forgive my solecisms. I was bullied into writing this piece. Language and speech have never been my thing. Whilst some Professors at Oxford concluded I have what’s called cluttering, the friend who bullied me concluded I have substituted those skills for analytical and logical reasoning. You decide!