Ras Aswad Nkrabea, father of one of the Rasta students speaks on #SayItLoud
• An Accra High Court has ruled that Rasta students who were refused admission by Achimota be given the green light
• Father of Ohene NKrabea says the landmark ruling is a victory for future Rastafarians
• Ras Aswad Nkrabea commended the judge for expediting the case to help the Rastafarian children to go to school
After months of legal battle against one of the country’s elite schools for their right to education, although that meant challenging the status quo and disobeying the age-old rules, they eventually succeeded.
Two Rastafarian families withstood the pressure from powerful old students, went against the tenets of the Ghana Education Service as well as the National Association of Graduate Teachers to stake their claim to study at the Achimota School.
Earlier, the school had failed to recognise the admission of Tyrone Marghuy and Oheneba Nkrabea because they refused to oblige to cutting off their dreadlocks due to their religion; Rastafarianism.
Their action and the subsequent decision by the widely acclaimed senior high school led to a national uproar and rekindled the debate of doing things the same old ways in institutions and systems.
But a court ruling by Justice Gifty Agyei Addo brought to bed the debate as both Tyrone and Oheneba have been given the green light to be admitted by the Achimota School.
Achimota School has in a retaliatory move appealed the ruling, maintaining their previous stance, although this time around they have resorted to admitting the duo, with the caveat being that they will cut their locks should they win their appeal.
Father of Oheneba Nkrabea, Ras Aswad taking his turn on GhanaWeb #SayItLoud noted that the landmark victory puts them in a unique position as they feel like frontrunners for future Rastafarians.
He avers that he was impressed with Justice Gifty Agyei who seemed abreast with the Rastafarian culture and cited that she said she wanted to expedite the case.
He told Laud Harris Adu-Asare that the victory will serve as the first of many battles to revert some decisions against the marginalised in the country.
Watch the full interview here: