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Kwaku Antwi Boasiako in ‘comfortable lead’ with his 12-feet Rasta hair
Unless they want to maintain an afro, most men would visit a barber’s shop, at least once every month, to get a clean shave and haircut.
Even those who admire dreadlocks or Rasta may not have the patience to keep it up to a certain length let alone sustain it for life.
But 58-year-old Mr Kwaku Antwi Boasiako is comfortable with his 12-feet (365.76 cm) long hair which is about twice his own height.
rasta measures 12-feet
When he first visited The Spectator in 2003, the hair, arguably the longest kept by a Ghanaian Rastafarian, was only six-and-half feet long.
The 5.8 feet native of Bekwai in the Ashanti Region is determined to still grow the already longer hair further, as long as he lives.
Origin
Interacting with this paper once again, on Tuesday, Mr Boasiako explained that he became a Rastafarian at 16 years so he could “get closer to God and understand his spiritual being.”
Recounting the genesis of his 37-year-old journey of Rasta hairdo, he said he was exposed to a Pan-African society at St Peter’s Secondary School at Kwahu Nkwatia in the Eastern Region and later decided to transform his natural hair in accordance with the tenets of the group.
He noted that his parents were initially, against the idea of keeping a bushy hair as they thought that decision would interfere with his education but they eventually gave in after he had convinced them.
Education
True to his assurances, Mr Boasiako completed his ‘O’ level at St Peters Secondary School, pursued a private Advanced Level (A-Level) course, and gained admission to do Diploma in Communication Studies at Ghana Institute of Journalism. He later acquired Bachelor of Artsin Administration at University of Ghana, Legon.
He said he could not pursue a post-graduate programme due to financial constraints but he would have loved to study law and defend Rastafarians.
Influence
Mr Boasiako, quoting sections of the Bible throughout the interview, maintained that members of the group defended the spiritual cause of black people regardless of their peculiar outlook.
He said the rise in Pan-Africanism, subtle influence of Bob Marley music, and the other forms of indoctrination by peers deepened his interest in the virtues of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia who was and is considered the ‘Messiah’.
According to him, his ‘Rasta-man-ship’ was strengthened through prayers as he grew up to realise that there were more spiritual undertones to Rastafarianism than what others perceived.
“Rastafarianism encourages those who believe in the movement to fast and pray for spiritual uplift. You cannot be a real Rasta man without prayers,” he noted, adding that “no other race could maintain Rasta except the black man.”
Discrimination
He admitted that the decision to maintain the Rasta came with “discrimination and frustrations” at the workplace and society as a whole.
“I could not work to my full potential at my former workplace. Eventually I had to leave. They were not giving me the opportunity to work like other people. Sometimes I felt bad and discriminated against because I wanted to practice journalism than any other profession,” he noted.
Since then, he decided to operate his own venture as a real estate agent, however, some sections of the public still mocked at him for sustaining his Rasta hair throughout the years.
Maintenance
Unlike other people, Mr Boasiako revealed that he did not apply any chemical nor went to any special outlet to treat his natural hair which took only five minutes to wash.
“As much as it does not cost you to bath, it does not cost to maintain this hair. I only wash it with warm water and soap to remove dandruff and sometimes I apply lime which acts as natural disinfectant,” he said.
Asked how heavy the thick hair was, he replied: “your hair is like a cloth. When there is water in it, it is heavy, when there is no water, it is light.”
Ridicule
Although social and technological advancement have contributed to the acceptance of Rastafarian culture, Mr Boasiako noted that some people had often asked if he was able to sleep at night.
“I always tell them I have been standing ever since I was born. When I step out of my house, I always pray to God to help me to tolerate all the ridiculous comments people make,” he said.
Advice
Mr Boasiako encouraged young men who aspire to be Rastamen not to perceive the movement from a radical point of view.
“The motive behind this lifestyle is to uplift the spirit. It is not to encourage violence and radicalism. Aspiring Rasta men must “keep themselves neat so people do not confuse them with bad men,” he stressed.
He further argued that Ghanaian ladies must not be carried away by western hairstyles but rather maintain their natural hair and cover it with scarf so they will “look very simple.”
To him, Rastamen were not supposed to shave part of their dreadlock and leave other parts or even dye their hair.
“Some people say they are Rasta so they do not wear shoe or slippers but that is not Rastafarianism,” he added.
Mr Boasiako has two children. He is a member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Rastafari Council of Ghana, and loves reggae and gospel music.
Indeed, there are other people with longer hairs but he insisted he is in a “comfortable lead.”
By Ernest Nutsugah
Madam Sandra Seyram Kpedor, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Anloga in the Volta Region, has emphasised the importance of parental involvement in children’s education, stating that education is free, but parents need to do more to support their children.
She said parents, teachers, and students must be involved in addressing the challenges facing the district’s education sector, particularly the poor Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results.
Madam Kpedor outlined some key roles parents should play to promote their children’s education, including providing a conducive learning environment, monitoring their children’s progress, and supporting teachers.
The DCE highlighted some challenges the district faced such as inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of teachers, which have also contributed to the poor BECE results and called on well-to-do parent to help solve the situation through and other supports.
To address the issues, she also announced that plans have been taken to utilise the district’s common fund to implement educational projects, such as constructing school blocks and teachers’ bungalows at Sodzi community, and 2-unit classroom blocks each at Akplorwutorkor and Tegbi-Afedome respectively, among others.
Madam Kpedor also noted that her office had earlier notified the Ministry of Education to deploy more teachers to the area to improve teaching and learning, and encouraged students to work hard and strive for excellence, and work beyond their limit to succeed.
“To my wonderful and beautiful girls, you have to know it clear that women and girls have equal opportunities to compete with men for greater achievements,” she indicated.
The DCE cited her own achievement as a testament to the fact that women can excel in leadership positions, alongside Vice President Nana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, and stressed that girls were no longer limited to domestic roles but can pursue their dreams and become leaders.
Additionally, she mentioned that a meeting was held earlier with assembly members, and other stakeholders to address the district’s educational challenges and improve academic performance.
She promised that the district’s education oversight committee and stakeholders would work together to address the challenges and improve the district’s BECE results and called for parental involvement and support to boost the district’s education sector for children to chase their dreams to become future leaders for the success of the district and the nation.
She urged parents not to leave everything to the government but rather help in the provision of some necessary materials such as textbooks, exercise books, pens, pencils, food, and guidance to children for the successes of young learners. –GNA
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The spokesperson for Dr. Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has criticised the implementation of the NDC government’s No Fee Stress policy, arguing that the programme has failed to deliver on its core promise.
According to him on Starr fm, the policy, which was introduced to ensure stress free payment of fees for level 100 tertiary students, has rather turned into what he described as post stress support.
He explained that students are required to pay their fees first before applying for reimbursement, a situation he believes defeats the purpose of the policy.
He questioned claims by government officials that the policy has been successful and that citizens are happy.
In his view, such claims do not reflect the lived realities of many Ghanaians. He stressed that while some people may appear satisfied, many others continue to struggle.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye pointed to the situation of trained teachers and nurses who have been picketing for nearly six months, demanding employment.
He noted that government responses suggesting it cannot accommodate all of them contradict claims of economic stability.
He further argued that economic indicators such as a stable currency mean little to people who are unable to secure jobs or access promised support.
He observed that telling an unemployed teacher or a struggling student that the cedi has strengthened does not address their immediate challenges.
On the issue of tertiary education, he maintained that no level 100 student benefited from stress free fees in 2025, despite the policy being announced.
He added that in 2026, students have already reported to school without receiving the promised support.
He insisted that asking students to pay fees first and seek reimbursement later amounts to support after hardship, not stress free education.
According to him, this approach goes against what was promised during the policy announcement.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye questioned why a government that presents the economy as strong is unable to fulfil what he described as simple and clear promises.
He added that there is a fundamental problem with the way the economy is being managed and indicated that he is prepared to explain his position further.
By: Jacob Aggrey
