Christian Council condemns rioting students over ongoing WAEC examinations

The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has condemned the action of some final year students for rioting over the ongoing West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and also insulting President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The Most Reverend Paul Kwabena Boafo, Chairman of the Council in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Friday condemned the act, saying, “by first, rioting on campus because they alleged the invigilators were too strict, and two, for insulting the President because they are claiming he is behind the difficult examination questions and all that... must be condemned by all.”

Some candidates of this year’s WASSCE are seen in a viral video demonstrating gross indiscipline, including abusing high profile personalities like President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.

“It a big shame for even students to come out to riot when they have written a paper, which they think is difficult. Some of the reasons are that they were given past questions and they thought those were the questions to drop were untenable,” Most Rev Boafo, who is also the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana said.

He indicated that past questions were, “only a guide for students to prepare and go into examinations and not to go in to depend on some fake questions.

“For them to come out and rain insults on the President who has been so benevolent, granting them all these years of free education, and not even counting what he has spent on them, and to come out to insult him in public, is a big, big, big shame”, the Most Rev said.

He said as it were, the President had no hand in setting the examination questions and therefore, it was wrong for the students to go that path and vandalizing school property.

The Most Rev. Boafo noted that the behaviour of the students was a reflection of the society and that it should be condemned by all.

“We should also know that whatever we do, as adults, that is what our children are learning. That is why the Bible said, 'teach the child the way he should go, and when he grows up, he will not depart from it.'”

He said the Christian Council want the parents of the children to come out publically to condemn and apologise to the President, the government and the people of Ghana, over the behaviour.

“Children or adults cannot in anyway insult an adult, and more so, the President of the Republic,” Most Rev Boafo said.

He applauded the invigilators for being strict, adding that, that was what all invigilators were supposed to do in examinations.

Most Rev. Boafo said if there were genuine issues, students should resort to Students Representative Council, the Ghana Education Service and other appropriate avenues to address them.

He advised all the final year students to study right to pass the examination and also called on school authorities to instil the “Ghanaian discipline” on campuses, adding, “that one we should not go back on it, else, we will not be getting a good society for ourselves in the future. Our children should learn to respect”.