The National Women’s Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson, has called for decisive action and a comprehensive investigation into allegations of sexual abuse involving 19 students of Obuasi Senior High Technical School.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, she said revelations surrounding the alleged abuse, including reports that complaints may have reached school authorities as far back as March 2026, pointed to a serious failure by institutions responsible for protecting students.
Mrs. Koomson said the allegations against the school’s headmaster, Mr. Zakaria Abdulai, had exposed a wider crisis of protection, particularly as institutional records reportedly pointed to similar malpractices dating back to 2021.
She described the situation as a catastrophic failure of the duty of care owed to children and insisted that the matter must not be treated as an isolated incident that attracts public attention for only a few days.
She acknowledged steps taken by the Ghana Education Service (GES), including the interdiction of the headmaster, as well as statements issued by the Ministry of Gender, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service and comments by the Vice President.
However, she maintained that these measures were insufficient, expressing concern that the headmaster remained a free person after reportedly being granted self-recognisance bail.
“The man walks around as a free person, after a supposed self recognisance bail,” she stated, urging authorities to move beyond public statements and take decisive action to ensure justice for the victims.
Mrs. Koomson called on the Ghana Police Service and other state institutions to conduct a comprehensive, independent and transparent investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding the allegations and identify everyone who may have been involved.
She further demanded that the actions and inactions of the school authorities, District Chief Executives and District Directors of Education be scrutinised, adding that the investigation must extend to previous schools where the headmaster had taught.
She cautioned against shielding Mr. Abdulai because of his influence, political connections or professional standing, stressing that his alleged membership of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and position as a board member of the Ghana National Film Authority should not affect the investigation.
The NPP Women’s Organiser also called on the Ministry of Education and the GES to urgently review safeguarding systems in schools to prevent similar incidents and protect students from abuse.
Among the measures she proposed were confidential and accessible reporting mechanisms in every educational institution, including toll-free telephone lines, as well as the establishment of counselling departments in all basic and second-cycle institutions.
Mrs. Koomson said the Women’s Wing would not allow the matter to be swept under the carpet and was formally demanding regular updates from the investigating authorities.
As part of efforts to demand justice and demonstrate solidarity with the victims and their families, she announced that the NPP Women’s Wing would lead a peaceful and lawful demonstration in Obuasi on Friday, November 6, 2026.
The demonstration, she said, would be held in accordance with Article 21(1)(e) of the 1992 Constitution and would demand justice for the affected students while advocating safe schools for girls.
She called on mothers, fathers, teachers, religious leaders, traditional authorities, women advocates and politicians to support the campaign and speak out against sexual abuse in educational institutions.
Mrs. Koomson also appealed to the Vice President to intervene, insisting that the time for expressing concern was over and that concrete action was now required.
“Today, it is 19 girls. Tomorrow, it could be someone else’s daughter, sister or relative,” she said
