Obuasi SHTS sexual abuse: Big insult to victims and Ghanaians if headmaster claims GES exonerated him

Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has challenged reports that the Ashanti Regional office of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has exonerated the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Zakaria Abdulai, over allegations of sexual abuse involving female students.

He has questioned the regional education authorities’ capacity to determine allegations involving rape, arguing that the matter requires a criminal investigation by the police.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, October 19, Mr Azure said any claim that the headmaster had been cleared by the regional office was deeply troubling, particularly given reports that complaints had previously been made to school authorities.

“I think it’s the biggest insult to the victims and Ghanaians to say that the GES exonerated him,” he said. “This GES is within the enclave. These are the people who should have acted when reports upon reports went out.”

The journalist said the committee that reportedly examined the matter was chaired by the Obuasi East Director of Education, raising questions about the process and its ability to address allegations of a criminal nature.

He also referred to concerns he said had been expressed by people in the Obuasi area about the response of school management and regional education authorities to the alleged incidents.

“Obuasi East and Obuasi West are so close. And if you go to that enclave, there are people who say that from the school’s management to the regional GES looked away when these things happened,” he said.

Mr Azure questioned whether the committee had the expertise and mandate to investigate allegations of rape, insisting that such claims should be handled through the criminal justice system.

“So if those same people come out to say they have cleared him, they have exonerated him, these are allegations of rape,” he said.

“Which of them on that committee is equipped to investigate rape? This is a police, a criminal matter.”

Call for criminal investigation

The allegations are the subject of Manasseh Azure Awuni’s documentary, Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow. It examines alleged sexual abuse involving female students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School.

Click here to Watch the documentary.

Mr Azure’s comments come amid public concern over reports that female students had made allegations of rape, sexual harassment, sexual assault and other forms of abuse involving the headmaster.

The allegations, which have attracted attention following the report by Mr Azure, have also prompted calls for the affected students to be protected from intimidation and for their complaints to be investigated independently.

A GES administrative inquiry and a police criminal investigation serve different purposes. Any determination of criminal responsibility must follow the applicable legal process.

The claims against Mr Abdulai remain allegations and must be established through a fair and credible investigation.

The matter has raised broader questions about how schools handle complaints of sexual abuse, the protection available to students who report alleged misconduct and the accountability of education authorities when concerns are brought to their attention.