Rastafarians vs Achimota School: An appeal will put the issue into better perspective – Ras Wayoe Ghanamannti

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The lawyer of Rastafarian student, Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea, Ras Wayoe Ghanamannti, has said that even though he wishes that Achimota School will discontinue its appeal, he is hopeful that the process will put the whole issue in better perspective.

According to him, even though Justice Gifty Agyei Addo had ruled in favour of the Rastafarian students, her ruling had not satisfactorily addressed all the issues they put before the court.

“Some of the arguments that came up when moving the application, if you look at the ruling today, or the judgement, the judge only concentrated on the violation of the rights which was the key matter.

“But some of the submissions we gave, for example from our end, even the rules that brought us here. The rule is that if you have a bushy hair, the rule is internal and external suspension which presuppose you must be in the school, you must be admitted.

“But what we’re witnessing now is they’re denying them admission, but the judge didn’t bother to look at this,” he said.

He hopes the appeal will shed some light on all the other teething problems and finally put the issue to rest.

“It’s going to be very interesting when we go on the appeal, because when we go on the appeal, which is like a rehearing, the appellate court will look at all the submissions that were made,” he said.

He further elaborated on some issues he believes should be addressed by the Appellate court when the case is brought before it.

He said, “I tell Ghanaians so many important things were submitted especially from our end on behalf of Oheneba even in respect of the rules, because if you say the punishment for disobeying this bushy hair thing is internal and external suspension then what they’re even applying today, which is non-admission or non-enrollment does not suffice because it is not in your sanctions.

“So it’s like you’re punishing someone with a sanction that does not exist but the judge didn’t really talk about all those things. So if we’re going on appeal which we think should not really happen so that this matter ends, trust me, when we go on appeal, Achimota’s rule will be brought to question.

“Because it’s the rule that brought us here and this judgement, all that the judge said about the rule is that it’s not in conformity or it’s inconsistent with the Constitution. But for example, the Attorney General himself referred to the pre-tertiary act which is the education act 2020 which vests the power to make these school rules solely in the GES.”