There was agitation by students in the afternoon of Friday 20th October,2017 on the campus of Bolgatanga Senior High School,(BIGBOSS) in the Upper East Region . The action taken by these angry students was based on their alleged reason that Senior Housemasters do not sign both internal and external ‘exeats’ for students even under critical situations.
The anger of the students escalated after news broke that a first year General Arts Student, Eliasu Issaka who was reportedly ill and referred to the Bolgatanga Hospital for treatment had died. The students massed up at the common market near the dining hall visibly angry whiles chanting and accusing the school authorities especially the three Senior Housemasters, Sylvanus Tater, Isaac Dazandzan and Osman Iddrisu of negligence and failure to sign the ‘exeat’ in time of the deceased.
This action started when some students from various departments had finished writing their Integrated Science Paper in the School Based Assessment Examination. According to the SRC President, Atiah John, he and some of his colleagues were in the classroom when they heard the noise. So he quickly mobilized the Senior Boys Prefect and his Assistant as well as the Vice SRC President to move to the scene where these students were agitating.
Some of the school authorities had already moved to the agitating scene to resolve the situation however, the students snubbed them and headed towards one of the House Masters, Osman Issahaka residence. They pelted stones and broke the back screen of his car parked in front of the house which is just about some few meters away from the Girls Dormitory.
Assistant Headmaster in charge of Administration, Stephen Awasnab who could not race with the students to the disaster scene was transported on a motor bicycle to the rescue of Mr. Osman’s properties. Mr. Stephen Awasnab used himself as a cover to the car that the students were attempting to destroy completely. That was the point the students were gripped with fear and halted their actions at once.
The Assistant Head Master in-charge of administration, Vitus Angkyier placed a call to the Headmaster, Ababu Afelibiek who was on his way with an entourage consisting some students and staff to the deceased student’s home town in Bawku for burial to brief him the situation. He then placed a telephone call immediately to the security service to contain the issue, surprisingly, the Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Bukari moved in swiftly with police and military deployment. Before their arrival at about 3pm, management meeting was already held and concluded that students should be sent home whiles the school shut down.
The minister opposed the idea of shutting down the school and implored on the students to avoid acts that could drag the name of the school into disrepute. A compromise was reached after addressing the students and the decision taken earlier to close the school was rescinded. Students were asked to go back to their regular activities but under the supervision of security personnel.
The destruction of the Senior House Masters properties was done simultaneously as groups of students headed to their houses separately. Dzandzan Isaac’s residence is adjacent Mandela and Ampofo block of the school whiles Sylvanus Tater quarters is situated behind Nkrumah/Anachinaba Block. Unfortunately for Sylvanus Tater and Osman Iddrisu, their cars have been mangled but Dzandza who was not home but on his way for the student’s burial with Osman Iddrisu came to meet his door destroyed and louver blades scattered.
Since the day of disturbances to Monday, calm has since been restored to the school. Fortunately, Leadership of the Old Students Association, ’Tangabisis’ have also interacted with the students on the Monday Assembly and pleaded with them to refrain from such nefarious acts. A crunch meeting was also held with the management of the school to settle on the way forward.
Investigations have since been thrown into the matter by school authorities and Security Personnel in order to fish out the culprits who spearheaded the action or fine all students to pay for damages if the students refused to mention the leaders.
Meanwhile, findings conducted by A1 Radio revealed that the deceased student did not die on campus and reports circulating that the school authorities refused to sign exeats were not entirely the situation on the ground.
There are procedures in which a student can be granted exeat be it external or internal. Per the school rules, when a student is taken ill, the situation is supposed to be reported to the House prefect who leads any sick student to the campus clinic that has professionally trained personnel for treatment with indulgence of the house master but if the situation is beyond their control, the case could be referred to the Regional Hospital.
In the case of the deceased student, Eliasu Issaka of Bayala House, the house prefect Iddisa Haruna said, he was not in the knowm about the situation until he was referred to the regional hospital. It was also on record that the deceased never went for exeat from neither the House Master nor Senior House Masters and was denied; a situation his uncle also in the school confirmed.
Facts check also points out that, the deceased reported to the school’s clinic on a Wednesday and immediately referred to the regional hospital after it was observed that his condition was critical. He complained of stomach pains and started vomiting blood. Our checks can confirm that when the deceased lost blood through vomiting, authorities of the school organized about 12 students to donate blood at the regional hospital unfortunately he passed on Friday morning. The school authorities including two of the Senior House Masters, Isaac Dzandza and Osman Issaka whose properties were destroyed were on their way to the burial service with the corpse when the rioting sparked on campus.
As to why students had to target their Senior House Masters with such allegations of exeats denial emanates from the fact that they are said to be strict on the movement of the students which according to them was unfair. So it was evident the students led by some ring leaders were looking for the least opportunity to unleash their anger on them.
