11/06/2026
A Legacy Gift from the Phillips Family to MOBA and Mfantsipim 🔴⚫️
There are moments in the life of an institution where history stops being something you read in a leather-bound book and becomes something you can touch, feel, and see in the eyes of those who built it.
On June 9th, 2026, inside the serene spaces of the Labadi Beach Hotel, one of those moments unfolded.
The revered family of the late J. V. L. Phillips—a name carved into the very foundations of the Mfantsipim Old Boys Association as its first-ever Ebusuapanyin—sat shoulder-to-shoulder with the MOBA Secretariat and the MOBA Executive Committee led by Ebusuapanyin Moses K. Baiden Jnr.
The air was thick with memory, reverence, and a profound sense of closure. The purpose? A historic, formal handover ceremony that will reshape the physical and cultural landscape of the school as it rapidly approaches its landmark 150th Anniversary. In an inspiring gesture of pure commitment to the MOBA Fraternity, the Philips family officially donated their esteemed family house and property, located at the prestigious Mfantsipim 4th Alley, entirely to MOBA for the perpetual benefit of Mfantsipim School and its alumni community.
The Philips family has been part of the Mfantsipim story for generations. At the centre of that legacy was the late J. V. L. Phillips, MOBA’s first Ebusuapanyin, whose leadership helped shape the Association.
Today, his descendants have honoured that legacy by donating the family’s property at the Mfantsipim 4th Alley to MOBA for the benefit of Mfantsipim.
MOBA Executive Secretary, Divine Akaba, explained the purpose of the gathering:
“We are here to officially receive this gift, document this remarkable donation to MOBA and Mfantsipim for posterity, and express our sincere appreciation to the Philips family for this extraordinary act of generosity.”
During the ceremony, Ambassador Agnes Aggrey-Orleans, Dr. Brenda Philips, and Carlien Bartels were present, representing the Phillips family as well as F. L. Bartels lineage.
Ambassador Agnes Aggrey-Orleans emphasized the family’s commitment to the school:
“This property is our inheritance, and we are willingly giving it to MOBA for the benefit of Mfantsipim. The family seeks no benefit whatsoever from this donation.”
Receiving the property on behalf of MOBA, Ebusuapanyin Moses K. Baiden Jnr. stated:
“We recognize that this is a donation to MOBA for the benefit of Mfantsipim. It is therefore our responsibility to preserve, protect, and sustain this big gift that has been entrusted to us.”
More than a gift of land, it is a gift of vision—a lasting investment in the future of the brotherhood and the school.
In choosing legacy over ownership, the Phillips family has demonstrated the true spirit of Dwen Hwe Kan.
To the Philips family, MOBA says: Yɛda mo ase. Thank you for bringing this legacy home.
