As part of celebrations marking the 95th anniversary of Accra Academy, the 2000 alumni Year Group (Bleoo 2G) of Accra Academyhas officially commissioned and handed over the newly constructed Beatrice Lokko Memorial Eco-Park to the management of the school.
The commissioning took place during Accra Academy’s annual Homecoming event on Saturday, August 15, 2026, which also featured a float from the Bubiashie campus to James Town and back to the school campus. The float, which is organised every 5 years, was to visit Ellen House, the historic birthplace of Accra Academy, where the school was founded on 20th July 1931 by four friends, all of whom were under the age of 30.
The eco-park pays tribute to the late Mrs. Beatrice Ablah Lokko, whose career at Accra Academy spanned over three decades. It was during her tenure in 2003 that Accra Academy was ranked the 8th best secondaryschool in Africa by Africa Almanac. Born in Accra on September 6, 1949, Mrs. Lokko attended Mfantsiman Girls’ Secondary School before graduating from the University of Ghana in 1973 with a B.A. (Hons) in English. She was posted to Accra Academy for compulsory National Service, and although she initially vowed never to become a teacher, the eagerness of her young students inspired in her a lifelong passion to become an educator, and she joined the permanent staff of the school in 1974. Mrs Lokko frequently organised weekend extra classes and student excursions to the Aburi Botanical Gardens to teach students poetry recitals and explore literary works.
It was also at Accra Academy that she met her husband, Mr. Christian B. Lokko, then a French teacher at the school. Together, they raised four children: Cyprien, Christine, Juliana, and Leticia. Mrs. Lokko rose through the ranks as Head of the English Department and became Assistant Headmistress under the tenure of Mr. Vincent Birch Freeman. She was appointed Acting Headmistress in 1996 and officially named Headmistress in 1997. This historic appointment made her the first female head of Accra Academy and the first woman ever to head a boys’ senior secondary school in Ghana and across Africa.
Her national and international achievements earned her the Ghana Women Achievers Award for Excellence in Education and entry into the Ghana National Honorary Awards of Fame. Following her tenure at Accra Academy, which ended in 2005, she served as District Director of Education for Akwapim South and Gomoa districts before her passing in January 2010.
During her headship from 1997 to 2005, Mrs. Lokko transformed the academic and administrative landscape of Accra Academy. Some of the highlights of her tenure include: connecting the school to the internet in 1997, instituting the Accra Academy Hall of Fame and the Founders’ Awards, introducing the school cloth, constructing a new school canteen, establishing the Old Boys’ Secretariat, rehabilitating burnt portions of the administrative block, and providing student-employment schemes for needy students. It was also during her tenure that Accra Academy organised the maiden alumni Homecoming of the 21st Century in 2001, a tradition which has endured since then.
The commissioning ceremony was overseen by Ing. John Osei-Wusu, CEO of Jewel Energy and a member of the Bleoo 2G year group. Addressing the gathering, Ing. Osei-Wusu described the park as a modern rebirth of the cherished “Eduase Academy” sanctuary, which now serves as the school’s ceremonial grounds. Hitherto, it was a nostalgic site where generations of students gathered to reflect, bond, and form lifelong connections. He praised Mrs Lokko for her dignity, exemplary conduct, and pivotal role in shaping students’ intellectual and emotional growth.
“This is a place where many of us cultivated profound memories and established lasting connections… the genesis of numerous historical monikers and a cherished location where we convened with visiting family members”, Mr. Osei-Wusu stated.
He also noted that “Mrs. Lokko was the true definition of a lady. She carried herself with grace and taught us how to be true gentlemen. She treated us like her own ‘darling boys.’ Because this park represents where our dreams and aspirations were shaped, there could be no one better to name it after than Mrs. Beatrice Lokko.”
The Headmaster of Accra Academy, Mr. Eric Ebo Sey, lauded the Bleoo 2000 year group for their generous gesture. He joined members of the Lokko family for the official ribbon-cutting to open the park to students and the school community and likewise joined them to unveil a bust in honour of Mrs. Lokko. Speaking on behalf of the Lokko family, Dr. Leticia Lokko Hanson, daughter of Mrs. Lokko, expressed her deep gratitude for the honour. She said, “Our mother poured her heart into this school long after her students walked out of these gates. To have the 2000 Year Group honour her in this lasting way is a gift we will cherish forever. We know without a shadow of a doubt that she is smiling down on this park today.”
Presenting the project details on behalf of Bleoo 2G, the Vice President of the year group, Nii Armah Ashong Katai emphasised that the Beatrice Lokko Memorial Eco-Park fulfils a dual purpose of providing a serene recreational space for students while serving as a living classroom to educate them on the environment. Built on a 100ft x 10ftplot granted by the school, he noted that the project required extensive land reclamation, drainage sealing, and ground levelling to complete it. He noted further that it was designed as an outdoor laboratory to allow students to study ecology, conservation, and environmental protection.
The project was spearheaded by the Bleoo 2G executive committee led by its president, Mr. Frank Osei Ocansey. The Eco-Park was funded through contributions from over 100 members of the year group. The top four donors were honoured with specific wings of the eco-park named after them. They were Ing. John Osei-Wusu, Mr. Israel Susuli, Mr. Richard Abbey Jnr, and Mr. Theo Oninko; each of whom contributed between GH¢40,000 and GH¢80,000 towards the completion of the project.
The commissioning marks a major milestone for Bleoo 2G’s Silver Jubilee and serves as a prelude to its plans to expand the infrastructure of the school as the school prepares to celebrate its Centenary Anniversary in 2031. Executives of the year group called on their remaining classmates to join future initiatives while pledging their support to ensure the maintenance of the park. They disclosed that alegacy project is already being planned for the group’s upcoming 30th anniversary.
In a separate presentation, the 1998 year group presented a brand-new Photocopying machine to the school library in fulfilment of a promise to the library after a recently held reading competition organised by the school. Five copies of the “Mindset Revolution” authored by Mr. Oscar Bimpong were also donated to the library. Speaking on behalf of the group, a representative of the year group noted that the donation was an act of reciprocity and appreciation for the school’s role in shaping their minds and character. The Headmaster, Mr. Ebo Sey, expressed profound gratitude to Bleoo ‘98 and described the photocopier as a timely intervention for the library, which had long identified it as a pressing need. The Chairperson of the Library Committee also thanked the group, noting that the Bleoo ‘98 year group had been consistent in supporting the school, including sponsoring the annual reading competition.
In yet another presentation, the 1993 year group, led by Dr. Albert Tetteh Botchway, CEO of Laboma Beach, responded to what he called a “distress call” from the cadets over their deteriorating and mismatched uniforms, and intervened by providing them with 100 sets of cadet apparel, including uniforms, socks, berets, and belts. The donation far exceeded the school’s expectations, which had been set at around 60 sets according to the headmaster.
“On behalf of the entire 93 year group, we are pleased to present thisapparel to the cadets. We were shaped by the cadet corps, and it was a life-changing experience for many of us. We want to ensure that the corps remains strong and formidable,” Dr Botchway noted. Dr.Botchway, a former cadet himself, also announced that the group would add boots and mufflers to the donation in due course. He further extended an open offer to support the cadets whenever needed and revealed that his private security company often recruits and sponsors graduating cadets for university education. The Headmaster lauded the gesture, noting that the issue of faded and incomplete uniforms had been a major concern during school parades.
The Master-in-Charge of the cadet corps assured the Bleoo 93 yeargroup that the uniforms would be well maintained and put to good use. He also promised that the corps would win future drill competitions to honour the gesture done for them. The 1993 year group had previously led efforts to rebuild the Alema Hall of residence, strongly backed by the 1981 year group, after it was destroyed in a fire outbreak.
Accra Academy alumni have a longstanding tradition of giving back to the school, and this year’s homecoming proved to be no different. The longstanding culture of alumni support which the school receives yearly has enabled it to maintain its prestigious category A status.
The 2026 edition of the Float and Homecoming was supported by corporate sponsors including Rooter Natural Products, Rohan Energy & Transport Ltd, Hello Gas, and Xodus Communications. The media partners included Clog TV, Metro TV, Max TV, GhOne TV, Channel 1 TV, Starr FM, 3FM, and Joy FM.
