Longest-serving host of the National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ), Prof. Elsie A. B. Effah Kaufmann, nearly lost her life due to her love for the competition that brings to bear the brilliance of students with respect to math and science.
The Biomedical Scientist was close to kicking the bucket after she moderated 76 NSMQ contests all by herself. She did this while being ill, and this nearly cost her her life.
She made this revelation during an interview on Starr Chat on Starr FM by host Bola Ray on Thursday.
“I have thought about it as my responsibilities have increased now. I am now a Dean, it is a good thing I only do thirteen contests in a year now. The largest number of contests I have done in a year is 76, the thing nearly killed me. It nearly killed me, I was ill in the middle of that programme and it was the year after that, that other quiz mistresses joined.”
Prof. Elsie A. B. Effah Kaufmann started moderating the NSMQ competition in 2006 and still does so. The NSMQ is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. This means that she has been moderating the contest for 17 years.
The recent contest saw Presbyterian Boys Senior High School beat Achimota School and Opoku Ware School to win its eighth trophy.
During this year’s contest, there were claims that the quiz mistress favoured some schools over others.
Fans of Prempeh College and Opoku Ware School have made these claims.
But the Dean of the School of Engineering Sciences at the University of Ghana refuted this allegation.
According to Prof. Elsie A. B. Effah Kaufmann, she has no interest in the schools hence, does not have a favorite.
“I don’t take sides, I have no interest in any school. I don’t know the contestants from anywhere. I am not interested in any school, when I get there, I am there to do a professional job. This is why you must be careful about slandering someone, because without that reputation for fairness I would not have lasted this long. If you like me to resign today, I would do so.”