ACHIMOTA SCHOOL Versus GHANA EDUCATION SERVICE (When the case goes to Supreme Court)

In furtherance of the argument for or against male Rastafarians and long hair in our schools or life in general, your Lordships and Ladyships  I hereby submit further biblical evidences for consideration : 

1Corithians 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

1Corithians 11:15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for [her] hair is given her for a covering.

Your Lordships, I suppose with this biblical condemnation of long hairs by males, I  think GES erred in trying to superimpose admission of Rastafarians into Achimota school for which the Constitution of the school is against. My Lord in one of the standing rules of Motown, I quote my Lord, "Any breach of common sense is a breach against school rules and regulations". Common sense my Lord is to have a hair cut as a man when your hair grows. My Lords, can the Constitution of Ghana be circumvented just in the interest of a minority in Ghana? If not so my Lords then the Constitution of a school cannot be equally circumvented in favour of just two Rastafarians.

My Lords you are well aware of the implied terms and conditions that are invisibly enshrined in any generally accepted code of ethics or conduct of an institution. That even the absence of express terms of engagement or enrollment in a public academic institution does not preclude upholding ones own beliefs against the unstated terms but reliance must be made on the use of logic and common sense in which case Achimota school erred not as they have made provision for this prohibition expressly in their code of ethics. The standing rules and regulations cannot be compromised for the sake of convenience and leniency. Public sympathy and name calling cannot override the standing rules of an institution even the first and the current president of Ghana attended. 

My Lords Achimota has produced three presidents in Ghana and none of them wore dreadlocks when they were in school. My Lord the world looks at this noble school to churn out the best elite in soceity. Achimota school though diversely cultured and accepts other students from the diaspora does not however mean that it must also allow male students to wear dreadlocks. This my Lord is an improper symbol and gesture to the world out there knowing the stigma attached to dreadlocks.

My Lords Achimota school which was established in 1927 with its motto as "Oint Oint Omniscent" which simply means "and all shall become one" and it's symbol of a black and white key organ which means to attain a good sound of a piano or an organ you must combine both the black and white keys, it has demonstrated a wider symbolic gesture that it is an all inclusive school. To attain harmony combine the black and white keys of a piano, that is what the Achimota crest stands for. My Lord by symbol, in deed and in gesture Achimota school has demonstrated that it is a multi cultural and diversified school that is aimed at raising people to transform soceity.

My Lords Achimota will not be seen as the school that was rather transformed by students but an institution that rather transformed students into becoming acceptable societal adults. My Lord if the world is divided over dreadlocks already, why should Achimota be the scape goat in setting that precedence, a dent on the achievements of the school. My Lords let the whole of soceity accept dreadlocks in all our institutions then Achimota can go ahead and also admit Rastafarians but until then we give credence to the school rules and regulations that has evidently produced great men of the land.

My Lords kindly disregard the submission by the plaintiff  because their premise is not based on any school constitution which is legally binding by the way but on an example set by Accra Academy. Accra Academy is not the sole reference point of education in Ghana. My Lords kindly let lead counsel give us additional two SHS schools with Rastafarians and I will advice my client to reconsider their decision not to take in the rastafarians but revert to recommendations by GES.

My Lords we need further school admission precedence of rastafarians not just Accra Academy on the issue of admitting Rastafarians. My Lords clearly you can see that the pursuit of case by the plaintiff is a wild goose chase and clearly lacks merit for consideration. My Lords kindly throw out their petition and let the school rules and regulations prevail.

My Lords, counsel has also raised the issue of Caucasians or blondes being allowed to keep long hairs. My Lords the exhibit provided of two female Caucasians with long hairs in Motown must be ruled out because precisely they are women and not of Ghanaian decent.

My Lords where has wee smoking been associated with Caucasian hair? My lords when we are trying to protect our kids from this herb, plaintiff is saying we should allow rastafarianism in our schools. My Lord I am not saying the students are wee smokers but it symbolises the ganja herb my Lord and not a good influence for the other students. 

My Lords kindly let plaintiff tell us the negative symbolization of the Caucasian or blonde hair? Let's not pretend, anytime you see Rasta what do you think of? Is it not Ganja? And plaintiff want our children to school with this influence for 3 solid years? My Lords, in psychology is counsel aware of how long it takes to develop a habit of influence over someone? My lords, it's just three weeks. My Lords,  all those advocating for rastafarianism in SHS are clearly not in the right light and cannot see far.

My Lords, a symbol can influence you 20 years down your life lane. My lords their argument is on the blind side of the future and psychology in general. My Lords, has counsel not realised that they are probably doing something they saw father or mother doing when they were a kids and even after 20 to 30 years now they are doing same? My Lords kindly advice counsel to deliver intelligent argument not just human rights argument please.

My Lords, I again have issues when counsel is trying to justify Rastafarians admission in Achimota by comparing it other foreigners or Caucasians. We are Ghanaians my Lord and we have a culture, rules and regulations. Caucasians are foreigners so let's excuse them for their hair even if they have been admitted to Achimota. Besides your Lordships the evidence provided of the two female Caucasian students with long hairs in Achimota were simply on a two weeks exchange programme.

Your Lordships, the fact is Achimota as a school can be used to promote cultural diversity and enhance international relations. Caucasians naturally have long hairs.  Blacks don't have long hairs but hard coiled and skanky hair. Dreadlocks is deliberately bridled without combing. Caucasians don't deliberately twist their hair to get any locks. 

Your Lordships, If the said Rastafarians had bushy hair that would be fine but even with that, they can even be ordered to go in for a haircut by school authorities. In the same Achimota if a Caucasian keeps her hair too long to her feet like Mame Water, she can be asked to cut it to acceptable length. I don't see any discrimination against rastafarians in Achimota in this regard my lords. 

Your Lordships, the dreadlocks of rastafarians is a chosen hair style, that of Caucasians and blondes are not hairstyle but natural. If counsel is saying rasta is not a hairstyle then why is  a counsel not a rastaman but decided to cut his hair? My Lords, Schools don't accept hair styles. It's that simple and it's a rule which must be obeyed. 

Your Lordships let me give you an example. In India they don't eat cow meat but if you are a tourist and you take your canned beaf to eat there will the government of India drive you out? They know you don't belong to India you will go so people should stop comparing Caucasians to Ghanaian rastafarians who must follow our school rules and regulations as Ghanaians.

Your Lordships, GES is very wrong to allow admission of Rastafarian students to Achimota High School. It's a slap to the face of rules and regulations in every school in Ghana. What GES should rather do is to rather consider establishing an SHS for all Rastafarian students and give them Rastafarian teachers too if they don't want to shave their heads. Your Lordships, may be they should also be allowed to roll and puff the ganja in the classrooms too. Your Lordships no one is against Rastafarians but the influence on our children. What do you want parents to do if their wards come back from school saying they are carrying dreadlocks because it's allowed in their school?

My Lords finally, I don't know why lead counsel, members of GES, Accra Academy school authorities, members of the Ghana Bar Association and it's hierarchy and even your Lordships and Ladyships are not keeping dreadlocks on your heads if it is indeed a honourable thing to keep to project ones beliefs and culture in a professional world let alone a school environment where peer pressure is the greatest? My Lords even if one of you Judges was keeping dreadlocks I would have appealed to my own conscience to accept students wearing dreadlocks but since my lords by your own head make ups you have rejected dreadlocks I don't see why Achimota school should accept Rastafarians?

Your Lordships I rest my case.

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