A Ghanaian visually impaired student who was violently removed from a chamber of a prestigious debating society has been cleared of any wrongdoing.
Ebenezer Azamati, 25, was manhandled out of the Oxford Union debating chamber by his feet and ejected from the building.
He was accosted by a security guard when he attempted to return to a seat he had earlier reserved for the October 17 debate.
A Video footage of the incident shows distressed Azamati being forcibly removed from his chair after he resisted efforts to drag him out of the room.
Disciplinary hearing
President of the Oxford Union Brendon McGrath called a disciplinary hearing, where it was claimed that Mr. Azamati had ‘behaved violently’.
The Union suspended Mr. Azamati for two terms, prompting protests from campaign groups such as the Oxford University Africa society.
He has since been cleared of any wrongdoing after an appeal with the union retracting the claims against Mr Azamati.
Mr McGrath is facing calls to resign amid criticism that the incident will hinder the elite institution’s chances of attracting more ethnic minority and working class students.
The Union is an entirely independent club not governed by the University, but this student’s treatment goes against our culture of inclusivity and tolerance – we are pressing the Union for answers on how they plan to remedy the issue and ensure this does not happen in future.
— Oxford University (@UniofOxford) November 18, 2019
Azamati felt worthless
The postgraduate student from Ghana said his treatment made him feel “unwelcome in the union, Oxford and even the country”.
Azamati, who has a BA in Political Science from the University of Ghana and an MSc in International Politics from SOAS, told the Sunday Times he feels ‘unwelcome’ in Britain following the incident.
He said: ‘I felt that I was treated as not being human enough to deserve justice and fair treatment.
The Oxford Union, which is independent from the university, has a tradition of hosting debates and speakers stretching back to 1823.
Source: Africafeeds.com
