The Man on the Five Cedis Note, Kwegyir Aggrey

 James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey was an intellectual, missionary, and teacher. He was born in the year 1875 in Anomabo in the Central region of Ghana.He attended Wesleyan School in Cape Coast.

He started teaching at Dunkwa,then after One year he left to Wesleyan School now Mfantsipim School in the year 1890.

Aggrey left his country as poor and unpopular.

When he came back to in 1920 he was famous, Doctor of Divinity and Philosophy, a friend of Sir Gordon Guggisberg, and a member of an international Commission that was enquiring into education in Africa and making recommendations on how this could improve.

He played a vital role in promoting Education in Africa through His missionary activities.

In Ghana(Gold Coast)he delivered a lecture that persuaded Governor Guggisberg that Achimota College should be co-educational: He was the first vice Principal of Achimota College.

The surest way to keep people down is to educate the men and neglect the women. If u educate a man u simply educate an individual, but if u educate a woman, you educate a whole nation

In South Africa he delivered a lecture which used e keys of e piano as an image of racial harmony.

I don't care what you know; show me what you can do. Many of my people who get educated don't work, but take to drink. They see white people drink, so they think they must drink too. They imitate the weakness of the white people, but not their greatness.

They won't imitate a white man working hard ... If you play only the white notes on a piano you get only sharps; if only the black keys you get flats; but if you play the two together you get harmony and beautiful music 

Aggrey believed that it was important that Africans should appreciate and enjoy African culture and civilization and this could be done through education.

Aggrey, even when he was World famous figure, still realized how much he did not know. So in the summer holiday of 1927 he went back to New York to carry on his education.There he was suddenly taken away ill and died.

And sir Gordon Guggisberg said of him

"Off all the men I know, Aggrey was most prepared to cross the great river.. There are others to come.May his example stimulate them.May we have more Aggreys in our great continent of Africa