Inter-co athletics turn battlegrounds?
When he suggested that I write an article on the joys/benefits of inter-school/college athletics competitions (inter-co), diplomacy prevented me from asking the first question that welled up in my mind.
“Kofi, are you a reincarnated Rip Van Winkle, unaware of the spate of ongoing ‘inter-co’ violence in 2026 and still savouring the glorious days of decent 'inter-co' we had 60 years ago?” Examples are as follows.
• On February 11, 2026, the Ghana Education Service confirmed reports of stabbing and gang-rape in Koforidua during the inter-co from February 4 to 6, 2026.
• Earlier, on January 30, 2026, an article said, “Troubling scenes were witnessed at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi after SHS students damaged nearly 300 seats during an inter-school sports event.”
• On February 19, 2026, students of the Swedru Business School (Swebusco) beat up/stoned a student of the Orbrachire SHS. In a stern warning, Ghana’s CID head gave the headmaster of Swebusco 24 hours to produce the three culprits.
• On February 20, 2026, after the “inter-co” in Cape Coast, an Adisadel College student was beaten up by six students of the Aggrey Memorial SHS. In addition to a fracture above his eye, the victim was robbed of his phone and cash.
• On February 26, six students of the Islamic SHS, Kumasi, were arraigned before court for throwing stones at students from the Kumasi Academy SHS after inter-co.
In 2025, the police recorded 38 cases of student violence. My February 2025 article titled “Violence, violence, violence” stated as follows.
To say that the last week of January and the first week of February 2025 were eventful might be an understatement. Perhaps “violent” will be a more appropriate word.
• At the Accra Academy SHS, a machete-wielding student was caught on tape dangerously flogging new students with the side of a machete.
• Salaga SHS, Savannah Region, a violent clash on February 4 between students left a student seriously injured.
The police arrested 20 students.
• Perhaps, the negative “icing-on-the-cake,” though no death was recorded, was the violence on Thursday, January 30, 2025, at Parliament House during the Appointment Committee’s vetting of nominees, broadcast live to the whole world.
Described variously as “disgraceful, regrettable, shameful, despicable, etc, our “Honourables” dishonourably converted the chamber into a boxing ring, not only engaging in fisticuffs, but also destroying furniture and electronic gadgets.
January 2021
January 2021 started on a whirlwind note in two capitals, Washington, D.C., and Accra! Almost simultaneously, there was pandemonium in the Capitol, Washington, D.C., on January 6th 2021, and Parliament, Accra, early January 7th 2021.
The world’s leading exponent of democracy, the USA, and Africa’s beacon of democracy, Ghana, both came out badly bruised, losing their cherished reputations as democracies par excellence.
In Washington, D.C., the iconic Capitol Hill on which the US Congress stands was stormed by President Trump's supporters to prevent the certification by Congress of Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 U.S. presidential elections.
Early on January 7, 2021, in Accra, Ghanaians watched with disbelief and shock as our Parliament Chamber was converted into a blend of a rugby stadium and a boxing/wrestling ring, where MPs violently displayed their snatching, sprinting, slapping, stampeding and sitting-on-lap skills. In the confusion, armed soldiers and police also entered the Chamber!
On the first sitting of the 8th Parliament on January 15, 2021, the Speaker strongly reprimanded the MPs for their “unruly behaviour” and “despicable conduct!” He warned he would have none of that on his watch.
Lessons
Words such as “unbelievable, shameful, disgraceful” have been used to describe events in Parliament on January 7, 2021. To say we fell from grace-to-grass may be an understatement.
Disappointed African friends who hitherto held Ghana in high esteem teasingly welcomed us to the league of Thomas Hobbes’ jungle-law parliaments, where animalistic aggressiveness and violence reign over restraint and decorum.
Discussion
Frustrated by all the violence, is it any wonder that elder statesman Sam Okudzeto said, “Ghana has become a nation of hooligans?”
How come our SHSs have become breeding grounds not only for violence, but murder in some cases?
The stabbing to death of a student of O’Reilly SHS by a colleague in September 2024 is still fresh in our minds.
In the name of human rights, discipline which straightened us as children has been relegated to the background with dire consequences.
After the night of violence on January 7, 2021, did Ghanaians not overwhelmingly say “Never again” to such violence?
May decency, selflessness and patriotism be our guide as MPs/leaders, and not needless machoism, as our children learn from us!
May the souls of the lost lives RIP!
Summary
The year 2026 has just started, and so far, violence has been reported during “inter-co” in Kumasi, Cape Coast, Koforidua and Swedru.
To my question on the spate of killings in Uganda when I arrived there as President Joaquim Chissano’s UN Military Adviser in 2008, my Ugandan colleague General said;
“When people know they can get away with murder because nothing will happen to them, as the law does not work, they will kill with impunity. But when they know they will also be killed for murder because the law works, they will not kill!”
On my Platoon Commanders Course in 1977, “Torgbui,” a colleague and a traditional ruler, told us that, “when fish rots, it starts from the head!”
When violent MPs display matadorial skills, Spanish bull-fighters will envy destroying electronic gadgets/furniture in Parliament in the full glare of the whole world, and nothing happens to them.
What message is sent to our children/students?
Students will kill with impunity when they know the law does not work and there are no consequences
.Remember the Biblical quote which enjoins us to remove the log in our eyes before removing the speck in others’ eyes (Matthew 7,3-5).
To policy-makers, Thomas Musah Tanko’s admonition quoted above remains valid.
Leadership, lead by example/humility! Fellow Ghanaians, wake up!
The writer is a former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association, Nairobi, Kenya; Council Chairman, Family Health University, Teshie, Accra. E-mail:
