Religion Evokes Passion: Fuseini Warns Wesley Girls Case Could Split Ghana

Former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central and seasoned legal practitioner, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, has cautioned that Ghana risks deepening long-standing religious fault lines if the contentious Wesley Girls’ Senior High School case is allowed to play out strictly through the courts.

He argued that the judicial system, though constitutionally mandated to interpret the law, may not always be the most suitable forum for resolving issues that touch the emotional core of society’s religion.

Speaking on JOYFM’s widely followed current affairs programme, News File, over the weekend, Alhaji Fuseini expressed grave concern about the potential consequences of relying solely on legal adjudication to settle disputes involving cultural and religious coexistence in schools.

“My fear is that when you apply the strict dictates of the law to a social problem with religious underpinnings, you risk further fracturing society. That is my fear.”
He emphasised that matters involving religion must be handled with sensitivity, consultation and a deliberate effort to preserve Ghana’s long-standing harmony between Christians, Muslims and other faith groups.

Background: The Case That Sparked National Debate
The controversy began when private legal practitioner, Shafic Osman, filed a motion at the Supreme Court on December 24, 2024 invoking Articles 2(1)(b) and 130(1)(a) of the 1992 Constitution.

His suit challenges Wesley Girls Senior High School over alleged restrictions preventing Muslim students from practising their religion, including praying and fasting.

Shafic Osman is asking the Supreme Court to determine whether such restrictions are constitutional, particularly in public-funded but mission-owned schools.
The Supreme Court last week directed Wesley Girls’ SHS to respond formally to the allegations. This directive has intensified public discussion, drawing commentary from faith groups, civil society, legal experts and educational authorities.
This dispute arises despite an earlier Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Muslim leaders and faith-based senior high schools.

The MoU was intended to ensure that Muslim students in mission schools are allowed reasonable space to practise their faith.
However, critics argue that compliance has been inconsistent, with Wesley Girls’ SHS cited as one of the institutions that maintain strict rules aligned with their Christian ethos.
The unfolding legal battle has renewed debates over whether mission schools, particularly those receiving public funds, can impose religious restrictions on students of other faiths.

Religion as a Sensitive National Fault Line
According to Alhaji Fuseini, Ghana must tread cautiously because religion remains a potent force capable of both inspiring unity and igniting conflict.

“Religion evokes the passions of people. And because religion evokes passions, it can lead to undesirable consequences,” he warned.
He argued that before resorting to litigation, the nation should exhaust dialogue-based approaches, negotiate practical compromises, and adopt socially sensitive measures that uphold Ghana’s multi-faith heritage.

Alhaji Fuseini referenced Article 36 of the Constitution, which encourages the state to pursue policies that promote national integration, cohesion and balanced development , principles he believe can guide solutions to the current issue.

Engagement, Not Litigation, Is the Way Forward
When asked how the case could best be resolved, the former minister, who once served at the Ministries of Lands and Natural Resources, and Roads and Highways, advocated sustained engagement between all stakeholders school authorities, Muslim communities, faith leaders and government regulators.

Drawing from his school years at St. Joseph’s, he recalled that while Christian prayers were held on campus, students of other faiths were allowed to observe their religious duties separately. However, all students attended specific Catholic events, such as All Saints Day.

This, he said, showed that coexistence is possible when rules are balanced with respect for diversity.
Alhaji Inusah Fuseini shared details of his upbringing to illustrate the possibility of peaceful coexistence in mixed-faith settings.

“I come from a family that has Christians and Muslims. We’ve never had difficulty in relating to each other. Never.”
He narrated how he attended Catholic schools from primary through training college, where he recited the Lord’s Prayer and sang Christian hymns daily.

Yet, none of these practices altered his Islamic faith. He even served as a member of the Catholic Youth Organisation (CYO), a detail he shared to demonstrate that exposure to other religious traditions does not necessarily undermine one’s identity.

Mission Schools and Their Evolving Identity
According to Fuseini, mission schools in Ghana were historically established to aid evangelisation, and many still maintain strong religious identities.

However, he observed that the extent of religious control varies widely. Some mission schools, he noted, have loosened their religious restrictions to accommodate Muslim students more fully, even constructing mosques on their campuses.

“You can find them all over Ghana,” he said, implying that coexistence was already happening and could serve as a model for resolving the Wesley Girls’ dispute.

 

 

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