A blind Ghanaian student at Oxford University is demanding an apology and adequate compensation after he was manhandled by a security man at the school.
Ebenezer Azamati was carried out of an Oxford Union debating chamber for no apparent crime.
According to reports, he arrived early for the debate because of worries there would not be provisions for handicapped people like himself.
He managed to reserve an accessible seat then left to eat.
When he returned, however, he was not allowed to enter. But he was able to get in with the assistance of a friend, which appeared to trigger a security official to come in and drag him out.
What happened next was incredibly disgraceful. Ebenezer was “dragged by his ankles” out of the chamber by the irate security guard. His union card was confiscated and he was subsequently kicked out of the union.
His treatment has been described as “violent, unjust, inhumane and shameful” by the Oxford University Africa Society (OUAS). Azamanti said he feels “unwelcome in the union, Oxford and even the country”.
Blind Student being pushed away by Oxford Security Person
“I felt that I was treated as not being human enough to deserve justice and fair treatment,” he said.
After the Oxford Union initially tried to claim it was his fault, they later withdrew a charge of ‘violent misconduct’ against him and apologized unreservedly.
The OUAS however, are demanding more reliefs including – an “unreserved” apology to Azamati from both the union and the president, the cancellation of Azamati’s ban and a reinstatement of his union membership, “Adequate” punishment of “the security personnel who assaulted him” and compensation for Azamati.
Those demands are yet to be met.
