On the 7th of May 2019, residents of Eastern Region woke up to the sad and grotesque news which occurred at the Salvation Army Basic School – a teacher of the school, Mr George Somuah Bosompem, was brutally beaten to death.
According to Starr News Ghana: four days prior to the attack, the headmaster used a public address system to publicly caution the youth in the town to desist from using the school as a “smoking site.” Anyone who will be caught smoking would face prosecution.
On the 28th of April 2019, while walking with a lady friend, the headmaster was ambushed and assaulted by suspected addicts carrying deadly weapons. The lady was also manhandled by the assailants.
The teacher passed on after this incident and this led to the arrest of the suspects who were involved in this gruesome murder.
This incident caused widespread fear and panic among the teachers of the school which has led to threats of en masse transfer from the school. It has since been reported that, measures have been put in place to provide security for teachers following the murder of the headmaster.
The Ghana Education Service came out with a strong message to condemn the killing of the teacher and called for expedited investigations into the callous killing of the teacher
The Ghana National Association of Teachers has also withdrawn its service at Asiakwa following the death of its member.
I am of the strong conviction attention on this issue transcend the press statements and press releases.
Clearly, much sensitisation and education need to be done to put a stop to the rampamt and unnecessary instant justice and attacks on the lives of Ghanaian.
The teachers in Asiakwa and in the country as a whole need an enabling environment to teach just as the students need emotional and physiological guidance to continue to have a positive mentality and heart to learn.
The National Union of Ghana Students’ will do its utmost best to interact with the family of the victim and also do well to engage the students of the Salvation Army Basic School to let them know that we value them and will always be there for their interest. The team from our end visited them at Asiakwa and we have taken it upon ourselves as a union to liaise with the appropriate authorities to work at providing opportunities for the children left behind
I believe the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, Ghana Police Service and the Teachers Council will also do their best to change the face of the school and the family of the victim.
This incident urges us to ask critical questions of the nature of our youth and students and also of the misuse of hard substances by the youth and the ramifications of such abuse on them and the people who suffer as a result of their actions.
This action by the youth calls for not only prosecution as has already been done but a need for drastic measures to reduce markedly the use of drugs by students and youth and I hope that the authorities involved will do well to be more engaging and informed in working to save the lives of the future of the next generation.
My sincere condolences to the family of the victim and to the student body of Salvation Army Basic School and at such a difficult moment I stand in solidarity with them and pray that the whole country will also offer them the needed assistance and support in such a moment of their lives.
We are with them.
Source: Tinkaro Asare Osei/President of the National Union of Ghana Students