Sissala Rastafarian cries out as “embargo” hits his salary
Listen to portions of the interviews with Joy News© Copyright myjoyonline
A young teacher in the Sissala East district of the Upper West district says he is being forced to give up his faith or risk losing his job.
Mohammed, 28, says school authorities at the primary school where he teaches Primary 6 pupils, have placed an embargo on his salary.
He says his bosses are uncomfortable with his Rastafarian lifeclass and tells Joy News that his refusal to cut off his dreadlocks has incurred the wrath of the District Director of Education.
“His reason is that because of my Rasta…he is putting an embargo on my salary,” he said of the District Director of Education.
Mohammed denied accusations by school authorities that he is an absentee teacher. He said he served both the district and regional directors of education and that records show that he attended school regularly.
Meanwhile the District Director of Education, Francis Avon has justified the action, saying the punishment will deter other teachers from Rastafarianism and ensure that the children are not negatively influenced.
Mr Avon said the teacher's “class of dressing, apart from the Rastafarian hairdo, the way he dresses and he appears before children, I advised him to change and at least look a bit decent.”