Loughborough Student Leader Alleges Assault by Ghana High Commissioner During UK Protest

[00:00:00]15 4 during 2026 uh we the six students in London embarked on the protest.

[00:00:08]But actually four of us were able to join the protest. Yes, uh because uh after we have engaged the authorities of the scholarship secretariat [clears throat] and there was no resolution uh we decided to protest. So, we went there. Uh we started at 12:00 p.m. though the protest was scheduled to start at 10:00 p.m. but we were coming from far away. So, we reached there at 12:00 a.m. Uh 12:00 p.m. rather, sorry.

[00:00:37]We started.

[00:00:39]It was a peaceful demonstration like it was was in the uh procession. So, we stood there for about 4 hours and the surprising part is that none of the authorities at the Ghana High Commission in London engaged us officially.

[00:00:58]We stood there. So, two of my colleagues decided to go inside. Though initially I advised them to stay back because we were expecting either the Ghana High Commissioner or the head of chancery to even come to engage us with our If we have a petition, we can send it to him.

[00:01:17]But nothing like that happened. So, two of my colleagues decided insisted to go inside the Ghana High Commission.

[00:01:25]They went. They followed all the protocols there and they were led to the waiting room.

[00:01:30]So, what happened the next minute was uh Her Excellency Papa Owusu-Ankomah and one Bridget Bonnie at the Ghana High Commission came down from their office. They started verbal abuse on my colleagues.

[00:01:45]They were using words like nkwaatiafo.

[00:01:48]You know what that word means. Uh useless people you and Bridget Bonnie even said we don't deserve deserve taxpayers' money. Meanwhile, we were awarded the scholarship to come and study here.

[00:02:00]Bridget Bonnie also went ahead to say uh if she was in the position of the Ghana High Commissioner, she would have removed our names or the people who went inside their names from the list.

[00:02:14]And you see, the scholarship is not who that they were sharing. That's one thing we we want them to know.

[00:02:21]It was awarded based on academic merit.

[00:02:25]You see? So, if you are saying if you are in the merit of the High Commissioner, you will take our names from it. I think that is not good. Uh that wasn't the uh reception we were looking up to receive.

[00:02:38]But unfortunately, no one engaged us.

[00:02:42]And even after we came back to Loughborough, I personally know uh I sent an update of the whole protest and the resulting incident of assault to the head of education and recruitment and that at the Ghana High Commission.

[00:02:59]As of now I'm speaking with you, they have not reverted.

[00:03:02]Yes. So, uh no one has responded to us yet. Yes.

[00:03:08]Now, uh our colleague who was assaulted uh Fosua Abena Fosua Jesse is at the hospital now. And also, we have booked for mental health support because uh she she she is traumatized. You see, one thing that happened to uh Bridget Bonnie and other members, they forced uh because the argument there was uh getting so aggressive.

[00:03:32]And the verbal abuse was getting aggressive. So, uh the colleague, which is Abena Jesse, decided to pull out her phone to record the incident. So, Bridget Bonnie and other members who we are yet to establish their names, possibly forced Abena Jesse to take her phone and deleted all my pay records including interviews she took for her academic work.

[00:03:58]They have deleted all the audios from it. Uh so, as I'm speaking with you now, Abena Jessie is at the hospital and uh uh she is receiving medical response.

[00:04:09]Because that's why I sent a report, a full account of the incident to the head of education and recruitment. But, since they because I requested them to uh start an investigation into the matter and why it led to that assault. But, they have not responded. So, we are preparing to make a formal police complaint at the uh metropolitan police.

[00:04:33]Yes, so that's what we are we are doing now.