RE: Short hair won’t stop double-salary scandals’ Ras Mubarak fires back at Haruna Iddrisu

When I listen to Ras Mubarak’s recent statements, I cannot ignore the contradictions in his argument. He claims that hair length has no bearing on morality, leadership, or character, yet his own actions tell a different story. Before entering politics, he worked at North Star Radio as a reggae presenter, proudly wearing dreadlocks, fully expressing his identity in that space. But when he decided to seek the mandate of the people of Kumbungu, he cut them off, knowing that leadership requires a different level of discipline, perception, and public confidence. If long hair truly had no effect, why did he remove it when it mattered most? Why did he not stand before the electorate with his dreadlocks and demand their trust? This is a question he must answer. Is his current opposition to appearance-based rules genuinely principled, or is it coloured by personal sentiment from his own past?

School rules are not political tools, and they are not arbitrary restrictions. They exist to build discipline, unity, focus, equality, and respect for standards. Uniforms erase visible differences in wealth and status, grooming teaches hygiene and self-respect, punctuality instils responsibility, and structured routines prepare children to thrive in society and in leadership roles. These rules cultivate character and moral strength, shaping students into citizens who can resist corruption, value integrity, and serve their communities. Bringing in double-salary scandals or political failures in a discussion about school rules is irrelevant; the misconduct of adults does not justify weakening the structures that prepare children to avoid similar mistakes.

The truth is clear. Hair is symbolic, but discipline is real. Rules are not about appearances; they are about forming responsible, capable, and morally upright individuals. Ras Mubarak’s argument loses weight when measured against his own life. Leadership and character are demonstrated through consistency, not selective criticism or political statements after the fact. The future of our children deserves clarity, guidance, and rules that strengthen their minds and values, not debates that confuse principle with personal history. Until he addresses why he abandoned his own dreadlocks when pursuing political power, his argument remains inconsistent, and the lesson he intends to teach risks being overshadowed by his own contradictions.

BY CURTICE DUMEVOR, PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERT AND SOCIAL COMMENTATOR