The Women’s Caucus from the Minority side of Parliament has called for an independent inquiry into the handling of allegations of sexual abuse involving some female students of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS).
The Caucus said the inquiry must establish when the authorities first became aware of the allegations, what action they took and why the students were allegedly left struggling to obtain assistance.
It also called for investigations into possible political interference to delay action and suppress complaints or shield the headmaster from scrutiny, insisting that any official found to have suppressed complaints or obstructed justice must face the consequences.
“The inquiry findings must identify the officials responsible for failures and recommend sanctions, but student identities must be protected in any published report,” it demanded.
Arrest not enough
Addressing the press in Parliament Thursday evening (October 22, 2026), the Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, said the interdiction of the headmaster of the school, Zakaria Abdulai, and the subsequent by the police and the Ghana Education Service were not enough to address questions about possible institutional failures.
“These developments do not dispose of the central questions of when did the authorities first know, what did they do and why were these girls left seeking help?” she asked.
Comprehensive investigation
Ms Appiagyei, who is also the member of Parliament for Asokwa, the allegations, reported by JoyNews, required a comprehensive investigation that prioritised the safety and dignity of the students while respecting the rights of the accused.
She said the headmaster was entitled to a fair investigation and the presumption of innocence.
“The girls are entitled to protection, to be heard and to have their complaints properly investigated and those duties cannot wait for a conviction,” she said.
Ms Appiagyei indicated that the authorities had a responsibility to protect the students and investigate their complaints without waiting for the criminal proceedings to reach a conclusion.
Identify who failed
Expressing concern over the police account of the case, Mrs Appiagyei said the police had indicated that a complaint made on August 4, this year was investigated and the docket forwarded to the Attorney-General for advice.
She, however, said that despite reports involving at least 19 girls, the public explanation given by the police on October 20, this year indicated that only one complaint had been investigated.
She, therefore, called on the police to reach out proactively and sensitively to other potential complainants to ensure that their accounts were heard and investigated.
“Frightened schoolgirls should not have to navigate official machinery unaided before the state takes an interest in their safety,” it said.
She It added that any failure by public officials to act on complaints or any attempt to pass them from one office to another without providing effective protection would amount to a serious dereliction of duty.
“The government must identify who failed these students and hold them accountable. A suspension announced after public exposure cannot settle the question of earlier institutional failure,” she said.
A-G’s prompt response
The Deputy Minority Leader called for prompt advice from the Attorney-General on the docket submitted by the police and prosecution wherever the evidence warranted it.
She further urged the authorities to provide public updates on the investigation without compromising the identities, privacy or safety of the complainants.
Questioning the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) handling of the allegations against Mr Abdulai, Mrs Appiagyei argued that the party’s response raised concerns about the priority it attached to the welfare of the students.
She recalled that on October 19, this year, the party’s Deputy General Secretary defended the decision to allow Mr Abdulai to contest the Juaben constituency chairmanship despite the allegations only to direct him to step aside the following day.
Although the she welcomed the reversal, it said the party needed to explain why comparable urgency had not been demonstrated earlier in addressing the allegations.
“The party found time to hear its official and considered his political ambitions. What comparable urgency did it show for the girls? Its leadership must explain that choice,” it said.
Demonstrate urgency
Criticising what it described as troubling priorities in the government’s handling of the matter, Mrs Appiagyei drew a comparison with controversy surrounding arrests linked to criticism of the government.
She said the government and the ruling party must demonstrate the same urgency in protecting schoolgirls who report sexual abuse as they show in responding to public criticism.
“A government so sensitive to words spoken against it must show at least equal urgency when girls report violations of their bodies and dignity,” she said.
