The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Mr. Abraham Koomson, has appealed to parties involved in the ongoing Wesley Girls’ High School religious rights dispute to withdraw the case from the Supreme Court and resort to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for an amicable settlement.

Mr. Koomson believes that a negotiated, consensus-driven outcome is crucial to safeguarding Ghana’s longstanding interfaith harmony and averting needless tensions over religious practices in schools.

The controversy—popularly known as the Wesley Girls Saga—arose from a human rights action filed against the school for allegedly restricting non-Methodist students, particularly Muslim girls, from wearing the Hijab or fasting during Ramadan.

Speaking on Ahotor FM’s show on Saturday, November 29, he cautioned that the confrontational nature of court proceedings may not produce a solution that reflects Ghana’s tradition of peaceful coexistence among religious groups.

According to him, ADR offers a more flexible and collaborative pathway for the parties to express their concerns, preserve the school’s cherished traditions, and uphold the constitutional rights of all students.

Mr. Koomson called for a broad dialogue involving major religious bodies such as the Christian Council, Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and Muslim leadership, alongside government and educational authorities.

Such engagement, he stressed, would ensure that the welfare and academic progress of students

His comments come at a time when the Supreme Court has instructed the Attorney-General and Wesley Girls’ High School to file their responses to the human rights claims, signalling that the legal process is actively in motion.

Despite this, the GFL maintains that returning to the negotiation table is the most sensible and unifying approach, capable of reducing tensions and strengthening national cohesion.

The case was initiated on December 24, 2024, when private legal practitioner Shafic Osman invoked the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Articles 2(1)(b) and 130(1)(a) of the 1992 Constitution.

Mr. Osman’s suit challenges the school’s policies allegedly restricting Muslim students from wearing the hijab, fasting during Ramadan, or practising aspects of their faith—actions he argues violate constitutional guarantees of religious freedom, equality, and non-discrimination.

Mr. Koomson therefore appealed to the Supreme Court to consider referring the matter to ADR to avert potential disturbances or divisions that might result from a purely legal determination, insisting that consensus-building remains the best path forward.