GNAT to sue chief for flogging teacher

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is to sue the chief of Ejisu Besease, Nana Akwasi Acheampong, who reportedly flogged a teacher of the Ejisu Besease JHS in the Ashanti region for allegedly smoking Indian hemp or “wee”.

The teacher, Francis Kattah, who teaches French, was taken to the chief’s palace at gun point on suspicion that he had smoked ‘wee’ with students.

He was reportedly given 25 lashes on his back by the chief, who combined four canes ostensibly to teach the tutor a lesson.

GNAT has condemned the action of the chief, describing it as arbitrary, unwarranted and disgraceful.

The Association says the best thing the Chief could have done was to report the tutor to the Ghana Education Service (GES) if indeed the teacher had smoked the banned substance.

The Public Relations Officer of GNAT, Peter Korda, told Citi News the flogging of its member amounts to mob justice, and announced that the Association will employ all legal means to seek justice for the teacher.

“We are not holding brief for the teacher but what I want us to understand is that, if even it is true that the teacher was smoking Indian hemp, it is not right for the Chief to take the teacher to his palace to flog him. As an Association, we think that it is improper. We are in a democratic society governed by laws and we all know that he is a teacher and a public worker. We have our system of dealing with such problems so if even it is true that the teacher did it, he is working under a hierarchy of officers within the GES and so there is a way to go about it. But you don’t take the law into your own hands in your Palace and flog him as if you are a Policeman. This cannot be proper and the Association condemns the chief’s action.

“Within the provisions of the legal system, we are going to use all legitimate means to ensure that the said unlawful punishment meted out to the teacher is brought before a competent Court of law to decide on the matter for the necessary reparation to be made”.

Meanwhile, the teacher is reported to have already filed a complaint with the Police with hearing expected to be on Thursday June 30.

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