Oheneba Nkrabea the Rasta Student quits Achimota School; gains admission to GIS

It’s obvious that the woes of the famous rasta students in our educational history are not dead yet even after the High court ruled in their favor.

One of the students who challenged Achimota School and Ghana Education service, Oheneba Nkrabea has quitted Achimota School and has currently been enrolled at the prestigious Ghana International School (GIS) in Accra after they received threats that the Attorney General was going to appeal against the High Court’s ruling that went in their favor.

The news about Oheneba’s move has been kept under wraps as the legal challenge to overturn a high court ruling travels its full throttle.

Ghana International School (GIS) is one of Ghana’s leading international schools providing world-class holistic education to children between the ages of 3 years and 18 years.

Meanwhile, the Lawyer for Rastafarian student, Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea, Ras Wayoe Ghanamannti, has described as unfortunate the Attorney General’s appeal against the High Court’s ruling in the Rasta kids case.

Speaking on GHOne TV Tuesday, the lead Counsel argued that the flagrant disrespect of the interest of these kids which is paramount per the principles of the law is problematic.

He fears the children would be affected psychologically as the case has been advanced further at the Appeals court.

“The psychological trauma, the instability, the emotional stress, and those ambits of it is what is worrying us because these are children, these are young guys, and they’ve started going to school so at the end of the day any such decision will traumatize them. And we think that this is what the AG should have considered. Because if you look at our law – the Children’s Act, Section 2, on the very first principle, it’s clear that in everything that we seek to do the interest of the Child is paramount and even court of law and all other agents of security and all other persons would respect that principle that the interest of a child is paramount.

“So we thought that considering this case and their interest in respect of education, the AG would have allowed this to pass and if there is any future advancing of the rules Achimota is using holistically to preserve and protect minority rights like these rights of the Rastas we are talking about it would be looked at but to bring this appeal on and to pile up pressure and emotional stress on the children is unfortunate.”

The Achimota School board and the Attorney-General’s Department have filed an appeal to challenge the Human Rights High Court’s order for the school to admit the two dreadlock-wearing students.

The Achimota School per the appeal said, the court among other things erred by indicating that the rules and regulations of Achimota School with regard to ensuring uniformity in appearance is unlawful and interferes with the manifestation of one’s religious rights.

The school board has therefore filed the appeal to have the entire judgment set aside and the plaintiff ordered to comply with the school’s regulations if he (Tyrone Marhguy) chooses to be a student of the school.

The AG’s office has also filed an appeal on the case, asking the court to uphold Achimota School’s arguments and rule in favor of the school.

The notice of appeal said the judge who adjudicated that matter and gave victory to the two boys failed to get the plaintiffs to provide evidence of their claims.

The AG’s office also said the judge erred in claiming that Achimota School had interfered with the right to the education of the boys.

“The learned Judge erred when she held that the regulation of the 1st Respondent requiring that students keep their hair low amounted to an illegal and unconstitutional attempt to suspend the manifestation of the Applicant’s guaranteed freedom to practice and manifest his religion…”

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President Akufo-Addo cuts sod for $60 million Phase 2 expansion project at UHAS

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Friday, 10th September 2021, cut the sod for the commencement of work on the second phase of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Project, in Ho, in the Volta Region.

The first phase of the University Project was funded by the Chinese Government through its development Agency, China AID, at a cost of 104,850,000RMB (Chinese Yuan), equivalent to some $16 million.

The facilities present at the facility include administration block, classrooms, library, laboratory, auditorium, student’s activity center, and a cafeteria for the School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences.

It will be recalled that Phase I of the project, which covers a total construction area of 10,386 meters square, was completed and handed over to the University some five years ago.

Artist impression of the Nursing & Midwifery Block

According to the President, Government recognizes that, in spite of all the facilities present, the University still requires additional infrastructural projects in order to effectively deliver on its mandate.

He explained that it is for this reason that the Ministers for Education and Finance worked in unison with the University Management to secure funding from the Chinese Government to the tune of $60 Million, for the commencement of the second phase of the expansion projects.

Phase II of the project, he said, will also accommodate the Central Administration of the University and the School of Nursing and Midwifery (SONAM), the biggest in Africa upon completion.
President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that, as a demonstration of the Government’s commitment to the project, the Government has made available GH¢6.2 million counterpart funding for the preliminary works to cover the extension of electricity, municipal water supply, construction of storm and waste drains, and all ancillary services required for the project implementation.

Artist impression of the Nursing & Midwifery Block

He commended the Minister for Education and the Vice-Chancellor for their efforts in bringing the project to fruition and congratulated the Vice-Chancellor on the renewal of his tenure of office.
Commending the management of the University for constructing ultramodern student hostels from internally generated funds, the President assured the University that his administration will not renege on its commitment to help the University provide quality education for its students.

The genesis of Phase II Project

Preparatory works for the construction of the China Phase II project started with a request from the Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Gyapong, in 2017, and was “blessed” with the signing of exchange of notes between the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana on Friday, January 11, 2019.
This paved way for the commencement of preliminary works on the project, with a delegation from China visiting the University in March 2019 for a reconnaissance survey of the proposed site and conducted feasibility studies on the proposed project.

In June 2019, the design team from the China Urban Construction Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd. (CUCD) who are the Consultants of the Chinese Government visited the University with preliminary sketch designs for discussion with the user departments.

After extensive deliberations with the Technical Staff of the University, revisions were made to some aspects of the sketch designs based on the lessons from the execution of the Phase I project.

In July 2019, another team of experts from China visited the proposed project site and conducted a site survey and geotechnical investigations to help in the completion of the designs. Subsequently, the technical team from the University of Health and Allied Sciences led by the Vice-Chancellor met the Chinese Consultants in October 2019 to review preliminary designs, agreed on modifications, and signed off for implementation.

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Headmaster of Jachie Pramso SHS who lashed a female student interdicted by GES

Latest update posted by Ghana Education Service (GES) on their Facebook timeline and monited by Accramail.com  confirms that the Headmaster of Jachie Pramso Senior High School (JAPASS) in the Bosomtwe district of Ashanti region who mercilessly lashed a female final year student to the extent of the victim having bruises at her back has been interdicted and advised to stay away while investigation is being carried out.

Mr. Francis Donkor, the headmaster of the school has been asked to handover the administration and management of the school to the Ashanti Regional Education Director whiles the investigation goes on, the statement stated.

Background of the issue

Mary Amoako, a 19-year-old and General Acts student was given several lashes by the headmaster, who was angry with her for being kind to offer her jacket to one male student who came to class without wearing a uniform.

According to Mary, the headmaster asked the boy to remove his shirt and go half-naked to the dormitory and wear a uniform before he comes back to the classroom.

She said, she later gave her jacket to the said boy to wear after the headmaster has ceased the boy’s shirt and left.
The headmaster, according to the girls, later saw the boy going to the dormitory while wearing a jacket, and when he found out that it was the lady who gave the jacket to him (the boy), he gave her several lashes at her back resulting in serious bruises.

—Accramail.com

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