The Gender Centre for Empowering Development (GenCED) has called for a thorough and impartial investigation into allegations of sexual abuse involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Zakaria Abdulai, and female students of the school.
The organisation is also demanding accountability for any institutional failures that may have allowed the alleged abuse to occur or prevented complaints from receiving the necessary attention.
In a public statement issued on October 20, 2026, GenCED’s Executive Director, Esther Tawiah said the allegations raised serious concerns about student safety, abuse of authority and the effectiveness of child-protection mechanisms within Ghana’s educational institutions.
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The call follows an investigative report by One time GJA Journalist of the Year, Manasseh Azure Awuni, which brought renewed public attention to allegations of sexual harassment, assault and rape involving the headmaster and female students.
Following the reports, the Minister for Education directed the suspension of the headmaster, while the Ghana Education Service (GES) suspended him pending investigations. The criminal aspects of the allegations were also referred to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service.
The GES has additionally directed the Ashanti Regional Director of Education and the Obuasi Municipal Director of Education to step aside while investigations continue.
GenCED says the measures must lead to a credible investigation and appropriate accountability, stressing that the directive for the education officials to step aside does not, in itself, establish wrongdoing.
The organisation has also urged investigators to examine reports that complaints may have been made to education authorities before the allegations gained widespread public attention.
It wants the authorities to establish when the complaints were received, who handled them, what action was taken and whether any opportunities to prevent further harm were missed.
GenCED further cautioned against treating the findings of an earlier GES inquiry into the August 2026 school disturbances as a conclusive determination of the separate allegations that have emerged from the recent investigative reporting.
It insists that the new investigation must independently examine the relevant evidence without institutional interference, political considerations or attempts to shield individuals from scrutiny.
On criminal accountability, GenCED has called on the police and the appropriate prosecutorial authorities to pursue the investigation diligently and ensure that any prosecution is based on sufficient evidence.
It says any person found culpable through the appropriate legal process must face the consequences prescribed by law, while respecting the right of everyone under investigation to due process.
The organisation has also stressed the need to protect the students concerned from intimidation, victimisation and public exposure, and has called for access to appropriate healthcare, counselling and psychosocial support.
It wants the GES and other relevant authorities to establish confidential reporting channels that enable students to report abuse involving teachers, headmasters and other senior officials without fear of retaliation.
Full Statement below:
GenCED PRESS STATEMENT ON OBUASE SHS SEXUAL ABUSE BY HEADMASTER
