Ernesto Yeboah, the activist and founding leader of the Economic Fighters League, has detailed a two-decade-long ordeal of academic victimisation that he said was designed to "break" him and his fellow student leaders.

Writing on social media, the firebrand activist described a systematic campaign by university authorities to sabotage the futures of students who dared to hold their institution to its own motto: “Proceed with integrity.”

Mr. Yeboah said that during his student days, his choice of "facts over propaganda" made him an enemy of the university establishment. He claims this resulted in the convening of "Kangaroo committees" and the deliberate manipulation of his academic records.

The activist revealed that he graduated with a Third Class degree, a result he suggests was quietly curated by the institution to keep him at the lowest end of the academic spectrum. The punishment did not end at graduation; he was informed that his certificate would be withheld for 10 years.

“What happened to us was not an accident. It was meant to break us. We were meant to become the casualties,” Mr Yeboah stated, reflecting on the psychological toll the era took on his peers.

The withheld transcript

The trauma of the experience was far-reaching. According to Mr. Yeboah, some of his colleagues never finished their programmes, while others were denied entry into postgraduate studies despite having higher-class degrees.

Proving that the "battle" remains active twenty years later, the activist shared that he recently applied for a copy of his transcript, only to receive a response with the inscription "Results Withheld".

Despite the apparent academic "shattering" of his early 20s, the leader of the Economic Fighters League maintained that his history is now a source of strength rather than shame. He noted that he has spent years succeeding without the need for his academic papers, driven by an "inner clock" that transcends human institutions.

Addressing the philosophical and spiritual lessons of his journey, Yeboah offered a unique perspective on faith:

“For those who say that there’s no God, my response to you is, you are right. God is not an argument. God is an experience. And I have experienced Him.”

By sharing his story, Mr. Yeboah stated he hopes to encourage others facing institutional oppression, asserting that the fight for integrity is never a wasted effort, regardless of the labels or grades imposed by those in power.