Major (rtd) Osahene Boakye Gyan, the architect of the June 4, 1979 coup has said that the issue of the Rastafarian students who have been denied admission by Achimota school has been blown out of proportion.

According to him, the substance of the issue has been relegated to the background with the debate shifted from the main issue.

He has noted that while everyone has a right to associate with a religion of his choice, the school authorities also have a duty to ensure that the school’s rules and regulations are obeyed.

“I think the story has been overhyped too much without explaining the underlining forces at work. Everyone has a right to religion. We have distinguished religious faith and religious practice. In a school like Achimota or Accra Academy where the authority has a responsibility to take care of their people, you have to be very careful,” he said.

Boakye Gyan, it has been said, was allowed to practice ancestral worship as a student of Achimota School. Professor Kwaku Asare, a US-based Ghanaian made the revelation in a Facebook post.

Reacting to the claims by Kwaku Azar, Boakye Gyan said he did not put the issue in the right context.

He recounted the circumstances that led to him being granted permission to practise his faith at Achimota College.

“Kwaku Azar was being mischievous. He did not state the circumstance under which I declared myself as an ancestral worshipper. When I went to Achimota, it has broadened their boarding with all forms of faith so if you say you went to practice your religion no one will disturb you. At that time too, I had been earmarked to succeed my uncle who had died. I was the Abusuapanyin so I had to perform some rituals.

“Between 7 and 7:30, everyone had to be in a place of his cherish so I used to go to the library. One day, the headmaster saw me and I told him I’m an ancestral worshipper. He asked me to come to his office.

He asked me to come to his house on Sunday and there was a Catholic priest, Methodist priest, almost everyone was there. So when I got there, I told them that my religion enjoins me to perform libation before a meeting like this...