The Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Builsa South constituency, Clement Apaak, has described as pointless, the disciplinary measures taken in response to the assault incident at Adisadel College, as captured in a disturbing viral video.
In the video, a student can be seen violently attacking another student in one of the school’s dormitories, causing severe bleeding below the victim’s right eye.
MP Clement Apaak described the punishment meted out to the housemaster of Adisadel College as “improper.” He also argued that it was unnecessary for the authorities to have suspended the victim at the center of the assault. The video sparked public outrage, with many expressing concern over the safety and well-being of students at the school.
In response to the incident, both the perpetrator responsible for the assault and the victim were sent home. The culprit was expected to write his West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from the West African Examinations Council’s (WAEC) center.
However, the victim was later called back to the school.
In an interview on Citi TV’s political show, the Big Issue on Saturday, July 29, Clement Apaak expressed shock over the suspension of the housemaster and he further argued that the incident might have happened on the blind side of the housemaster.
“I was shocked when I heard that the housemaster and the victim were suspended. The cause of action was not proper. How do you punish somebody who had already received this insane level of cruelty at the hands of a perpetrator? Because he didn’t report, I had an issue with that.
“I also had an issue with the decision to suspend the housemaster. I think that the decision to suspend the housemaster and the victim was improper. The incident might have happened on the blind side of the housemaster,” he pointed out.
The MP for Builsa South condemned the act, emphasizing that the victim could have died from being strangled.
“You could literally see the victim was almost passing out. You could think that the student who videoed or the witnesses would have tried to intervene or caution the student who was perpetrating this act of barbarism to stop. But invariably, he was being cheered on.
“The intent was obvious to cause harm, this could have led to a death or a murderous situation. Let no one make an excuse about the gravity and the consequences of what happened and, of course, it’s condemnable,” he asserted.
He applauded the school authorities for recalling the victim back to the school.
“The decision to bring back the victim and to investigate is in the right direction”.
Furthermore, the legislator suggested to housemasters in the various second-cycle schools to set up spies to check students who engage in deviant behaviours.
“I will urge housemasters to recruit spies in every house to be your eyes and ears and in the dormitories,” the MP opined.
