REPORT OF THE DISCIPLINARY CASE AGAINST ALLEGED CONSUMPTION OF INDIAN HEMP

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Date: 11th October 2024
Summary of Incident:
Report by Mr. Harunah Kamaal-Deen:

I was in the room when one of the boys came to me to report that one of the colleagues in the dormitory was shouting that he wanted to die. I rushed to the dormitory as was reported, and on reaching there, the student reported to me that one of his friends ground some pepper which contained Indian hemp inside it, which had a euphoric impact on him. One of the students around advised that if we give him sugar solution, the effect would be neutralized if and only if it was "weed" substance that was in the pepper. After giving him the sugar solution, he slept the entire day. I reported the case to Senior House master who also reported to the Assistant Headmistress, Domestic. One of the culprits, who is said to be the main brain behind it, ran home without Exeat after the incident and only returned to school two days later.

First Student: Daniel Kwesi Ansu (2 Arts B):
This, when Daniel was asked to tell the house why he had been summoned to the committee, he admitted that he believes it looks in relation to the incident of Indian hemp consumption. He continued to narrate as follows: Two weeks ago, Wednesday evening, Sah Kwadwo Felix and I decided to buy kenkey from madam Serwaa's store and eat. We went to search through the seniors' chop boxes where we found powdered pepper, salt, groundnut paste, and oil in one of them. We ground all together and ate when I noticed things were not well with me. I became unconscious of my environment. Everything felt like a dream. As a matter of fact, I forgot all the things I had done such that I was unaware of where I was. I asked one of my friends to report the case to Mr. Harunah, our House Master. When he was asked what they grind, he said the things they grind are pepper, onion, Maggi cube, and groundnut paste together. When he was asked where they got the onion and Maggi cube, he explained that they got them from one of their colleagues who is popularly known as Appocalypto. After he was asked whether he suspects there was "weed" in the pepper he ate, he first disagreed but later, upon further probing, stated that Sah Felix was the one who ground the peppers. He said though he was with him, he would from time to time send him to fetch water or go for more ingredients. To that, he hinted that, if Felix added any foreign substance to the pepper, it might have happened while he was away running errands. But added that he hardly could believe his friend had done such a thing.
Second Student: Reuben Armah Mensah (2 Arts H):
One of them called in the second person and asked him to narrate his side of the story. He began as follows: On Wednesday, the last two weeks afterscholar, Daniel and Felix said they were cooking, but my friend Alkaline and I decided to go to dining. When we came back, I saw Daniel and Felix eating kenkey and pepper, of which I requested for some, and Daniel gave me a piece of his Kenkey. After eating, I became slow in activeness.
He said, "When he was asked whether he had ever taken any "weed" substance before, he completed JHS his friend was eating toffee, which he gave him a bite of it; little did he know, it had weed substance in it." When he was asked to narrate what happened after eating the toffee which had Indian hemp in it.
He explained that he took toffee and he felt very dizzy, slept all day. When asked whether the reaction of his colleague after eating the pepper is relatable to his own experience, he said it might be possible what his friend experiences could be as a result of taking in Indian hemp substance.
He was further asked to tell the committee whether he believes the pepper he ate had Indian hemp, owing to the fact that he had stated he became "slow in activeness", to this he admitted it could be possible but has no evidence to his claims.
Third Student: Sah Kwadwo Felix (2 Arts B):
The third student then narrated his part of the story that went as follows:
For two weeks now, we had been grinding pepper which it was alleged that we had added something to it. We got the pepper flour and groundnut paste in a chop box belonging to one of the seniors who had just finished their WASSCE. We took the salt and Maggi cube from Appocalypto. After eating, I went home to repair the zip of my uniform.
When he was asked whether he took Exeat before going home, he said he went home without taking exeat, explaining that he did so because he had no exeat booklet. Further probing revealed that he returned to school using an unapproved route. He was further asked who ground the pepper they consumed. He admitted he did the grinding. He said he did not mix anything foreign with the pepper he milled. He added that he had never taken any Indian hemp nor smoked before.
Second Hearing: Rashid Ankamah:
Apocalypto, popularly known as Rashid, was called to hear his part of the narrative. He started narrating as follows: On that day, I was about eating Banku when Ansu Daniel came to me to request for pepper and onion to which I gave them some of mine.
Rashid, upon being asked whether it was only pepper and onion he gave to Ansu Daniel, affirmed strongly that he gave them only pepper and onion. When he was asked if he had added something to the pepper, he remarked that nothing was added to the pepper.
He continued that he even bought the pepper, powdered and tied in a plain rubber, tore the rubber in the presence of Ansu and other colleagues and poured some to Ansu.
Recommendation:
The Committee recommends the following:
Sah Kwadwo Felix, for breaking of bounds, be made to weed a portion of the school compound for three days.
That the undermentioned students Felix Sah Kwadwo and Daniel Kwesi Ansu be withdrawn from the boarding house for the entire semester. This would withdraw all privileges from them for some time for deeper reflection under the direct supervision of their parents.
All students involved be referred to the school counselor for further guidance and counseling. This would add to the solution of deeper-lying problems and pinpoint the importance of making healthy and responsible choices in their personal life.
Workshops should be organized in the school to make the students aware of hazardous results of drug intake and substance abuse.
Further enhance dormitory supervision to prevent similar incidents from occurring, focusing on students' well-being.
Conclusion:
There is no credible evidence to prove that Indian hemp was mixed into pepper which the students consumed. It seems that the incident was based on assumptions, and no concrete proof was available.
While the recommended disciplinary measures may rectify students' behaviors, more importantly, it reinforces the commitment of the school to uphold high moral and ethical standards. To this end, the Committee believes, with utmost confidence, that such proposed actions will deter other students and rehabilitate the summoned students into the school community.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Mr. Agyemang-Badu Peter (Chairman)
Mr. Sam Abraham (Secretary)
Mr. Haruna Kamal-Deen (House Master)
Mr. Abu Harissu (Form Master)
Mr. Kyeremeh Shaibu (Form Master)
Wakan Nelson (Head Boy)
Grace N-yelbi Nponiyo (Head Girl)

Post By: Wofa Sam

20th Oct, 2024 (20:47:37)

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