Allotey Jacobs

Former Central Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress has asked Ghanaians to stop making noise over Achimota School’s denial of admission to two Rastafarian students.

Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem Tuesday, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, said it was important that stakeholders come together and speak extensively on the matter to put it to rest.

“We all need to contribute well and positively to ensure that the matter is settled. The noise some Ghanaians are making will not help solve the issue. We will make noise and just three weeks to come, we stop talking about it, and then later it will resurface,” he said.

The Ghana Education Service, over the weekend, directed the headmistress of Achimota School to admit the two teenage students whose admissions were withdrawn due to their dreadlocks.

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The directive followed an intense and sustained online protest against the decision of the Achimota school authorities.

But after a crunch meeting on Monday, the Headmistress of Achimota School rejected the directive stating that either the parents compromise on their religious beliefs and allow their children to take off the deadlocks or they will be refused admission to the school.

But to the social commentator, it would be prudent that the Ministry of Education sets up a Rastafarian school to admit people with dreadlocks as adopting such acts will bring dire consequences.

“I suggest that the Education Ministry sets up Okomfo Anokye Secondary Technical so that these people with dreadlocks can be admitted there, else when such opportunities are opened for us now, anybody at all will bring unkempt hair all in the name of dreadlocks. Achimota will never accept dreadlocks in the school and so they should get it,” he said.

Uncle Allotey, as he is affectionately called, said the wearing of dreadlocks or rasta hair is not the sole preserve of any religion in the world.

He argued that dreadlocks predated Rastafarianism and has only been adopted by the group as their image.