The Women’s Caucus of the Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Parliament has made four demands to ensure accountability over allegations of sexual abuse involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), including a ministerial briefing to Parliament on the handling of the case.
The Caucus is also demanding a comprehensive investigation into all the allegations, immediate support and protection for the affected students, and an independent inquiry into the handling of earlier complaints, including possible political interference.
Speaking at a press conference at Parliament House on Thursday, October 22, 2026, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei, said the authorities must account for their handling of the allegations and demonstrate that the safety and welfare of students remain a priority.
According to the Caucus, JoyNews has reported that at least 19 girls have alleged abuse involving the school’s headmaster, Mr Zakaria Abdulai.
While acknowledging the headmaster’s right to a fair investigation and the presumption of innocence, the Caucus insisted that the allegations required urgent and comprehensive action to protect the complainants and establish the facts.
The first demand is for a thorough investigation of every allegation, with prompt advice from the Attorney-General on the docket submitted by the police and prosecution wherever the evidence warrants.
Second, the Caucus wants immediate protection, counselling, medical care and legal assistance for the affected students. It also called for strict confidentiality regarding their identities and prompt investigations into any intimidation or retaliation.
Third, it is demanding an independent inquiry into the handling of earlier complaints, including possible political interference, with the findings identifying officials responsible for any failures and recommending appropriate sanctions.
The fourth demand is for the responsible ministers to make a statement to Parliament detailing the chronology of events, actions taken by the relevant authorities and measures being implemented to protect students. The Caucus also wants schools to establish confidential reporting channels independent of the authority of any headteacher accused of abuse.
The Caucus expressed concern that, although the headmaster had been interdicted and the Interior Minister announced his arrest on October 20, questions remained about when authorities first became aware of the allegations and how they responded.
It cited the police account that a complaint made on August 4 had been investigated and the docket forwarded to the Attorney-General, while the public explanation on October 20 indicated that only one complaint had been investigated.
The statement also criticised the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) over its handling of Mr Abdulai’s decision to contest the Juaben constituency chairmanship despite the allegations. It noted that the party subsequently directed him to step aside on October 20.
The Caucus argued that the reversal did not resolve questions about the party’s earlier position and called for any suggestion that political influence had delayed action or shielded the headmaster to be independently investigated.
It commended the students who spoke out, their families, journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, JoyNews and the Asante Youth Association for demanding accountability.
The Caucus said it would pursue parliamentary oversight of the matter, emphasizing that the protection of the affected students and accountability for any established wrongdoing must remain paramount.
By: Christian Kpesese
