The Member of Parliament (MP) for the New Juaben South constituency in the Eastern Region, Mr. Michael Okyere Baafi says any attempt to compel Achimota School to accept the two Rastafarian boys will be a bad precedent for the country.
According to him, this will open Pandora’s box for all manner of demands in the future.
Two Rastafarian students were barred from beginning the academic year at the Achimota School because of their dreadlocks.
A number of Ghanaians have rebuked the school for taking such action.
The GES issued a directive to Achimota to allow the students however the school rejected it.
This was supported by the Old Students Association and the Parents and Teachers Association of the school.
But the New Juaben South legislator in expressing his opinion on the issue in Parliament called on Ghanaians to hasten slowly in pressuring the school to admit the students.
He insisted that the rules and regulations have been in existence since the inception of the institution and that is what has propelled the school to be where it is now.
“My problem is that if we don’t take care and try to bend the rules, a time will come that we may not be able to meet the demands of the people that will come because then we will want to meet everybody that comes halfway and try to give everybody access to education because they have certain religious beliefs and this is the way they want to behave or dress, and we have to allow them to be in the system. I don’t think that is a good thing to start with at all”.
Meanwhile, a group called the Coalition for Ghana’s Independence Now, has said it is not surprised about Achimota School’s insistence on two Rastafarian boys cutting their dreadlocks before being admitted to the school.
The group said, the conduct of the school, besides being racist, plays into the interest of colonialists who wish to mentally enslave citizens.
The group in a statement said President Akufo-Addo and the Ghana Education Service (GES) must immediately call the Achimota School to order.
“The President and the Nation has a lot to lose in this case than anyone involved. First, our President happens to be a human rights activist who knows better than all of us when it comes to issues of this nature. Secondly, Nana Akufo-Addo has brought the spotlight of the global community on himself and our beautiful country, Ghana by his Year of Return Festival and if he sits down and watches this disgraceful act of Negropean Racism, by the Achimota School, his reputation on the global African community will be destroyed beyond repairs,” the group said.
The post Bending rules for Rastafarian boys will set a bad precedent – Okyere Baafi appeared first on Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS