The Ghana Education Service (GES) has been petitioned to conduct a comprehensive investigation 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 dated June 21, Mrs Raissa Ebu reported that the incident took place on June 18 when the House Master, Mr Eric Agyemang, also known as Power, allegedly slapped Mr Sambou. This was after the school prefect, Blessing Nyamekye, falsely accused Mr Sambou of using a mobile phone and refusing to surrender it.
“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 expressed that this unjustified, undocumented expulsion without due process has created a significant issue for the entire family. This is because Master Sambou would now have to travel daily from Kasoa in the Central Region to Labone, Accra.
“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 also mentioned that during their visit to the school to discuss the issue, the headmistress of the school Mrs Rejoice Acorlor openly supported Mr Agyemang’s actions. She stated that she would have acted even more severely by slapping the boy 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 pointed out that such a boastful stance by the headmistress raises serious concerns about the school’s governance and the quality of education.
“The wrongful actions against Abraham Sambou have caused significant distress and disruption to his education, particularly as he prepares for his final examination. Following the assault, Master Abraham Sambou has been experiencing severe headaches and pain in his left ear and left eye, necessitating treatment at the Amanfro Polyclinic on Wednesday 19th June 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.
