The Ghana Education Service (GES) has been petitioned to investigate an alleged physical assault on a final-year student of the Labone Senior High School in Accra.
Abraham Sambou, the student, was allegedly assaulted by Eric Agyemang, the senior housemaster of the school, who is popularly known as ‘Power.’
In a formal petition made available to GhanaWeb, Sambou’s family alleged that on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, Agyemang slapped their ward after he was falsely accused by the school prefect, Blessing Elisha Nyamekye, of using a mobile phone and refusing to hand it over.
Sambou, who denied the allegations, was subsequently prevented from attending classes and detained in the senior house master’s office without food or water until 2 PM when his family arrived to meet with the school management.
The petition further said that following the incident, Sambou was indefinitely expelled from the boarding house without due process.
They added that this expulsion poses significant challenges for the family, as Sambou would have to commute daily from Kasoa, in the Central Region, to Labone in Accra.
“This wrongful undocumented expulsion without recourse to due process poses a significant problem to the entire family since Master Sambou would have to commute daily from Kasoa in the Central Region to Labone, ACcra.
“The family expressed deep concerned about the mistreatment of our ward, Master Samboum, and the conduct of the school authorities, particularly Mr. Agyeman, who has admitted to slapping this vulnerable final year student – a student who needs all the psychological help he can get as the WASSCE approaches,” portions of the petition said.
The family also said Sambou has been experiencing severe headaches and pain in his left ear and left eye, necessitating treatment at the Amanfro Polyclinic.
The petition further highlighted that during a meeting with the school’s management, the senior housemaster justified his actions by claiming Sambou lied about his father’s availability.
They also implicated the Headmistress, Rejoice Acorlor, in the matter, stating that she agreed to the action of her housemaster.
“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.
“When we visited the school to address the issue, Mr. Agyemang admitted to slapping Master Sambou. The headmistress, Mrs Rejoice Acorlor, brazenly supported Mr. Agyemang’s actions and stated that she would have acted even more harshly by slapping my ward and hitting him with her shoes. she also mentioned that if the incident had occurred before the resignation for the WASSCE, she would have ensured Master Sambou was not registered for the exam,” the petition added.
Speaking to GhanaWeb, the family also raised concerns about a photograph on the senior housemaster’s WhatsApp profile that showed him holding a gun, questioning his suitability as a peer educator and role model for students.
They cited this as further evidence of his intimidating demeanor and unsuitability for a supervisory role in an educational setting.
The family has since called for the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education to conduct a full and impartial investigation into the incident, revoke Sambou’s unwarranted expulsion, hold Eric Agyemang accountable for his actions, and monitor the conduct of Rejoice Acorlor to ensure the fair treatment of students.
They also expressed concerns about Agyemang’s continued physical abuse and unjust treatment of students, citing reports of his involvement in other incidents of physical punishment and intimidation.
Read the full contents of the petition below:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aSBxRhsj3gq9umQpkyflWS7r06bLtsu6/view
ghanaweb.com