The Ghana Education Service (GES) has been asked to conduct a thorough inquiry into the physical assault and indefinite suspension of Abraham Sambou, a third-year student at Labone Senior High School.
In a letter to the GES on June 21, Mrs Raissa Ebu stated that the incident occurred on June 18 when the House Master, Mr Eric Agyemang, also known as Power, reportedly smacked Mr Sambou. This occurred after the school prefect, Blessing Nyamekye, wrongly accused Mr Sambou of using a cell phone and refusing to hand it over.
“In addition to the assault, Master Sambou was prevented from attending classes on the same day and was kept in the senior house master’s without food nor water until after 2 PM, when we arrived to meet with the school’s management.”
“Following this, Master Sambou has been indefinitely expelled from the boarding house despite his denial of the false allegations. Master Sambou maintains that he does not use a phone at school; he was merely defending himself against the prefect’s harassment and false accusation,” she stated.
Mrs Ebu stated that the unjustified, unauthorized removal without due process has caused substantial problems for the entire family. This is because Master Sambou will now have to travel daily from Kasoa in the Central Region to Labone in Accr
“The family is deeply concerned about the mistreatment of our ward Master Sambou and the conduct of the school authorities, particularly Mr Agyemang, who has admitted to slapping the vulnerable final year student- a student who needs all the psychological help he can get as the WASSCE approaches.”
“Mr Agyemang justified his actions by claiming Master Sambou lied about his father’s availability when asked to provide his father’s phone number. Later, it was confirmed that Master Sambou’s father was indeed unavailable as the call was eventually answered by the boy’s mother,” she further said.
Mrs Ebu further stated that on their visit to the school to discuss the situation, the headmistress, Mrs Rejoice Acorlor, openly endorsed Mr Agyemang’s activities. She added that she would have reacted even more harshly, slapping the youngster and hitting him with her shoes.
“She also mentioned that if the incident had occurred before the registration for the WASSCE, she would have ensured Master Sambou was not registered for the exam,” she added.
Mrs. Ebu stated that the headmistress’ boastful position raises major issues about the school’s governance and educational excellence.
“The illegal acts against Abraham Sambou have caused severe distress and disruption in his schooling, especially as he prepares for his final exam. Following the incident, Master Abraham Sambou has suffered significant headaches and pain in his left ear and eye, necessitating treatment at the Amanfro Polyclinic on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
“As of the time of writing this petition, Mr Eric Agyemang has a photograph of himself on his WhatsApp Display Picture (contact number 0244382506) in which he is seen purportedly [displaying] a gun.”
“It is imperative that Master Abraham Sambou is given a fair hearing as required by natural law so that he can continue his studies without undue physical and psychological trauma,” she stated.
