Mfantsipim's head boy spoke Mandarin, Korean, Latin and more at the 150th durbar

At the 150th anniversary grand durbar of Mfantsipim School, held on Saturday, November 14, the head boy delivered an address in at least seven languages, including Mandarin, Korean, Latin, French, and Russian. The head boy's speech was broadcast on the school's own livestream, which was held at the Kwabotwe Centre for Sports Excellence in Cape Coast.

The commentator mentioned that the head boy spoke not less than seven languages during his address, as he posed for photographs with the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. The commentary on the durbar garnered significant attention on social media, with some posts even claiming that the head boy spoke more than ten languages. Vice-President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, representing President John Dramani Mahama, attended as the guest of honor and called for the improvement of secondary education quality.

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, graced the event as the guest speaker, alongside Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, who promised a 66-seater bus and GETFund support for the school. Mfantsipim School's headmaster, Very Rev Ebenezer Kobina Aidoo, echoed the head boy's remarks in his own speech, highlighting that the school, which is 150 years old, lacks an assembly hall to accommodate all its activities.

These multilingual addresses have become a regular feature of Mfantsipim's speech days, with the 148th anniversary in 2024 featuring a similar multilingual address by then head boy Ato Kwamina Essilfie, who spoke in over ten languages. President Mahama donated GH¢100,000, while the Asantehene contributed GH¢500,000 to Mfantsipim, the first secondary school in Ghana, which was established on April 3, 1876, by the Wesleyan Mission in Cape Coast with an initial enrollment of 17 boys.