GNAT demands justice after teachers allegedly flogged by soldiers in Tarkwa-Nsuaem

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is demanding justice from the Regional Security Council and management of a rubber processing company after some teachers of Adiewoso Basic School in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region were allegedly subjected to severe beatings and other forms of molestation by some men believed to be military officers.

According to a report by dailyguidenetwork.com, the disturbing incident, which occurred on Thursday, April 30, 2026, has left the affected teachers traumatised, with some reportedly sustaining injuries after being severely beaten.

GNAT demands probe into alleged assault on teachers by soldiers

Some residents indicated that tension in the town began when some purported military men stormed the area on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the invitation of a rubber processing company operating near the town.

The soldiers had allegedly been deployed to stop illegal miners from working on a rubber plantation close to the community.

According to reports, a confrontation broke out between the military officers and the illegal miners on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, after which the soldiers reportedly left the town.

However, residents say the officers returned in the early hours of Thursday, April 30, 2026, moving from house to house and allegedly assaulting several residents, especially young men.

Unfortunately, three teachers who had no connection to the mining activities were caught up in the violence.

One of the victims was the headteacher of the school, while another was a female teacher whose husband had visited her and was also subjected to the alleged assault.

Speaking to journalists, the Wassa West District Vice Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Daniel Mensah, narrated the painful experience the teachers endured despite trying to identify themselves as educators.

He said the teachers showed their GNAT membership identity cards to the officers in an attempt to prove they were not involved in galamsey activities.

According to Mensah, the soldiers ignored their pleas and told them, “You teachers should rather advise the town folks not to do galamsey in the rubber plantation. This is nonsense.”

He explained that the teachers were then ordered to lie on the ground and were whipped repeatedly, leaving visible injuries on their backs and other parts of their bodies.

“They were also threatened with being shot if they resisted. Upon hearing of the incident, the district secretariat of GNAT, Tarkwa, reached out to the affected teachers on phone to confirm the incident,” he added.

Mensah disclosed that the teachers later reported the incident to the Abura Police Station, where they were issued medical forms before seeking treatment at a clinic in Abura.

Expressing outrage over the incident, he condemned the actions of the soldiers and questioned why innocent residents had to suffer because of the activities of illegal miners in the area.

“We see the action by the soldiers as very unfortunate, inhumane and barbaric. Why must everybody in the town suffer unjustly because some people have already provoked the military?” he stated.

He further warned that GNAT would take further action if authorities failed to respond appropriately to the matter.

“We resolve that if within two weeks, leadership of GNAT does not hear favourably from the Regional Security Council, Management of the rubber processing company and Ghana Education Service (GES), the Association will advise itself,” he said.

NA/VPO

Ghana’s gateway status must be earned, not declared - Vice President