The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George has said the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum should be blamed for the Wesley Girls Senior High School impasse between the Methodist Church and the Muslim groupings in the country.
Speaking on Starr Chat on Starr 103.5 FM, Mr. Sam George explained that key stakeholders on the issue were on an amicable path of solving the issue which the Minister could have properly managed but he failed.
The Ningo-Prampram lawmaker who described the issue as “Much Ado About Nothing and needless noise” said the situation could have been handled better than what has been witnessed for some days now.
“I think that all sides should have handled it better but on this one, I place the blame squarely on my very good friend Dr. Adutwum, the Minister for Education. I think he messed up and watch the handling of that issue,” Sam George said.
He continued “Why do I say so, the Muslim Parliamentary caucus met with the Methodist Bishops and there was a certain understanding that pointed to a middle ground being sought. Then the education Ministry without recourse to the Methodist church issue directives. And so the Methodist church will also want to show you their power, that you can’t issue us that directive.”
Wesley Girls’ High School was directed by the Ghana Education Service to permit Muslim students who wish to fast to do so, but the Methodist Church countered the decision and insisted the school cannot bend its rules to allow Muslim students to fast.
The issue has degenerated with counter statements from the Muslim Caucus in Parliament, the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC) among other stakeholders.
However, Sam George said the Muslim fast is different from the Christian fast because the Muslim fast is a cardinal part of their religion and they should be allowed to fast.
“Our discussion on religious tolerance must allow us to always accommodate people. Because it is the same way I will not be happy if T. I Ahmadiyya Senior High School said non-Muslim girls should wear the hijab, I will kick against it. So it is fair and right…, it is a cardinal part of their religion,” he stated.
The Ningo-Prampram MP suggested that Muslim parents should be made to sign an undertaking to wave any legal issues that parents may bring against the school on health grounds.
The Lawmaker further argued:“You see the GES is spineless in responding to the Wesley Girls because they did not respond to Achimota. If you did not whip Achimota in line how do you whip Wesley Girls in line, you can’t.”
Source: Ghana/Kasapafmonline.com/ Isaac Dzidzoamenu
