Lom Ahlijah Advocates Tech-Based Monitoring in Schools After Assault Case
Lawyer and energy expert Lom-Nuku Ahlijah has called for the urgent adoption of technology in Ghanaian schools, including CCTV surveillance systems, to enhance accountability and ensure accurate investigations in cases of teacher–student altercations.
His remarks came in the wake of a viral video from Nyinahin Catholic Senior High School, in which a teacher was allegedly seen assaulting a student—a case that has since led to the teacher’s arrest and sparked nationwide concern about student safety in educational institutions. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from education advocacy groups, with Eduwatch demanding stronger school safeguards to prevent similar occurrences.
Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show on June 10, Mr Ahlijah stressed that schools must adopt technological systems to provide objective evidence when disciplinary incidents occur. “Introducing technology is essential because if you do not have direct oversight of a situation, you must have a reliable means of ascertaining the facts,” he said.
He highlighted the critical role of CCTV cameras in clarifying events during disputes, adding, “If, for instance, there were CCTV cameras around, we would know who the instigator was and all of that because an investigation has to be done.”
The lawyer also emphasised the limitations of relying solely on eyewitness accounts in sensitive situations. “You cannot discount the fact that in a student and teacher confrontation, there’s undue influence also because other people around, depending on who they are, may or may not be able to tell the truth as a fact because of fear of persecution and all of that,” he explained.
While acknowledging the financial challenges of implementing such technology across Ghana’s school system, Mr Ahlijah argued that investment in school accountability systems was essential. “The need for technology to be introduced is critical,” he stated.
Reflecting on the viral incident, Mr Ahlijah described it as deeply unfortunate and urged the Ghana Education Service to take decisive action to prevent similar occurrences. “For me, when I saw the video, it was quite unfortunate. The GES needs to take decisive action to look into this and why it keeps occurring,” he said.
The call comes amid rising public concern over student welfare and teacher conduct, underscoring a growing demand for modern safeguards, technological oversight, and stronger accountability mechanisms in Ghanaian schools.
Image Source: MYJOYONLINE
