St Francis of Assisi Catholic School honours Founder, outdoors new name 

By Edward Williams

Ho, July 17, GNA – The late Mr Philip Komla Anyawoe, Founder of the St Philips Primary School, Ho Kpevele, has been posthumously honoured by the St Francis of Assisi Parish and Catholic Schools for his contributions to education. 

He established the then School in 1979 attached to the Ho Police Depot Middle School to “feed” the Middle School with students. 

The School Management Committee (SMC) and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) renamed the school and two existing ones which bore different names, into the St Francis of Assisi Catholic Schools. 

Mr John Kodzo Teku, the Chairman of the SMC, said throughout the establishment of St Philips School, it maintained the Catholic identity making it possible for the St. Francis of Assisi Parish to assume direct stakeholder ownership.  

He said the Parish also assumed managing capacity of St Francis’ Kindergarten, St Philips Primary School, and Ho Depot Junior High School; “all bearing unwarranted location name.”  

Mr Teku said the variations in the names of the schools and their locations comparable to the Parish’s name, drove the SMC/PTA and the PPC to properly rename all the three schools in harmony with each other and that of the Parish’s identity and ownership. 

The new names ascribed, were to be respectively known as St Francis of Assisi Kindergarten, Ho-Kpevele, St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School, Ho-Kpevele and St Francis of Assisi Catholic JHS, Ho Kpevele. 

Mr Teku said the change in the names followed due process and gazzeted by Ghana Publishing Cooperation, November 7, 2022, in Accra, Ghana. 

He said in replacement of the name, St Philips Primary School, the SMC/PTA, and the Parish Pastoral Council deemed it gratifying and appropriately to honour its Founder.  

Mr Teku said they immortalised the founder’s name in the school and beyond by dedicating the very first primary block built in his name as “Philip Komla Anyawoe Block.”  

He noted that the SMC/PTA had begun the process to construct a 12-Unit 3-Storey classroom block to address the growing enrollment of the school. 

Nana Kugbeadzor Bakatai II, the Oti Regional Director of Education and the Chairperson of the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC), underscored the importance of honouring heroes of society who had immensely contributed to its development, progress, and growth.  

Madam Sossou Benedicta Philomena, the Headmistress, St Francis of Assisi Primary School, presented a citation to the children and family of Mr Anyawoe to express gratitude to them.  

Madam Alice Dzifa Gligui-Denueme, the Volta and Oti Regional Manager of the Catholic Education Unit, advised parents and school authorities to work together to ensure holistic and excellent performances of students.  

Madam Mary Anyawoe, the daughter of the late Founder, on behalf of the family expressed gratitude to the Church, management, and authorities of the school for the honour bestowed on the family.  

She said the family was advancing plans to establish a scholarship fund- to support students.  

Reverend Father Moses Ameveanku, the Parochial Administrator, St Francis of Assisi Parish, Ho Kpevele, in a homily on the theme: “Your soil will bear many fruits,” saying it was human beings’ expectations that all their efforts yielded good fruits. 

He urged the faithful, to know that anytime they found themselves before God, they should be aware that their problems, pains, and difficulties were known to God, and he was the only one to provide the solutions.  

GNA