THE INCOMPETENCE OF THE MINISTER OF ATTORNEY GENERAL AND HIS DEPUTY; IN THE CASE OF SHAFIC OSMAN VRS WESLEY GIRLS SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, OVER RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION IN THE INSTITUTION.
The current Attorney General and his Deputy are behaving like the have never been law lecturers before excuse me to say. How can you justify a statement of religious discrimination by Wesley Girls High School based on the rules of Methodism or methodist church?
The Constitution of Ghana chapter 5, clearly stipulated fundamental human rights and freedoms of every citizen in Ghana. This constitution which is Supreme than any other statutory documents in the state clearly stipulates the entitlement every citizen enjoys in a state. Example of those rights we are entitled to are; right to education, freedom of association, freedom of religion, right to public property etc.
In the constitution chapter 5(12) article 1 and 2 clearly stipulated “(1) The fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined in this chapter shall be respected and upheld by the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary and all other organs of government and its agencies and, where applicable to them, by all natural and legal persons in Ghana, and shall be enforceable by the Courts as provided for in this Constitution.
(2) Every person in Ghana, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinion, colour, religion, creed or gender shall be entitled to the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the individual contained in this Chapter but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest.”
The Attorney General, who is supposed to advice government with regards to legal matters, is acting in bad faith with regards to the issue under discussion.
The Wesleyan missionary which later became Methodist which established Wey Gey Hey in 1836, is now a full government school in Ghana and not still under the dictates of Colonial constitutions and legislation in protecting it missionary powers. So therefore, methodist rules cannot be Supreme over the laws of Ghana which is constitutionally enshrined in 1992. The Constitution provided for, right to public facilities and properties, freedom of religion and their likes, for the citizens of Ghana.
The state cannot be sponsoring a second cycle institution like Wesley Girls SHS, which is benefiting from free SHS. Dscriminate against certain students on the basis of them belonging to a different religion, when the laws of the country frowns against that. It’s not a methodist choir group neither it’s a methodist church building, but rather an educational institution though a missionary one, but a government sponsored senior high school.
The minister of Attorney General and Justice and his Deputy, if for nothing, should have taken solace from the Tyrone and Achimota case. Before making that discriminatory comments against the Muslim students ordeal in Wey Gey.
If this is the kind of counsel they’re giving to the president then our country is really sinking, in terms of legal and judicial jurisprudence. No wonder Chief Justice Torkonoo was removed under discriminatory tactics and dictates.
The writer is a Muslim, who believes that everyone civil rights as a citizen of our country, must be upheld.
Sofo Karim Baba
A youth activist.
