Achimota Rasta Saga: I’m disappointed in religious bodies over silence – Ras Nkrabea

The Father of one of the Rastafarian students rejected by Achimota School, Ras Nkrabea, has expressed his disappointment in the various religious groups in Ghana for turning a blind eye to the discrimination they suffer at the hands of the school.

According to him, the Christian Council and especially the Muslim Mission has not added its voice or joined them resist oppression by the school, and are looking on unconcerned.

“I am disappointed and surprised the Christian Council is not talking about the problem we are facing. They fought for the Muslim Movement when it came to the Wesley Girls issue. I am surprised at the Muslim Movement staying silent especially. I am surprised they are acting this way because we are fighting for their rights too,” he said in an interview on the Happy Morning Show hosted by Samuel Eshun.

He revealed that the same Achimota School also discriminates against the Muslim community and believed they (Muslim Movement) will support them because “the school doesn’t allow Muslim students to wear the hijab.”

“When I went to the school, I saw a female student taking off her hijab before entering the school’s premises and when I asked her, she told me no hijabs were allowed on campus and a teacher and the school’s Assistant Headmaster confirmed this.”

After hearing this, Ras Nkrabea was surprised the Muslim Movement was doing nothing to correct this and always said they were in dialogue with school authorities. “They have been engaged in a dialogue for years and I don’t know why they don’t take this to court just like we did.”

He described authorities of the Achimota School as prejudicial and prideful for refusing his son and one other admission into the school and discriminating against others because of their religion.

Background

Achimota School became the center of debate when it refused to admit two Rastafarian students. This saw a section of the Ghanaian public criticizing the school authorities with others standing with them.

It can be recalled that the GES rescinded its decision to allow Achimota School admit the Rastafarian students and subsequently threw its support to the school for refusing to admit the students.

In recent news, however, the Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court has ordered Achimota School to admit the two Rastafarian students, Tyron Iras Marhguy and Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea after they sued the school’s board of Governors, the Minister of Education, Ghana Education Service and the Attorney General to enforce their fundamental Human Rights.

After the ruling was made, the school’ Board of Governors have also directed its lawyers to appeal it saying, “The court ruled that the religious rights of the two applicants had been violated by the school management as they sought to enforce the time-tested and well known rules of the school.

The court further directed the School to admit the two applicants. The School Board disagrees with the ruling of the Court. The School Board has therefore directed its lawyers to appeal against the ruling.