Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has called for a police investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against Zakaria Abdulai, the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), challenging claims from the Ashanti Regional office of the Ghana Education Service (GES) that he had been cleared.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on October 19, Azure Awuni questioned the regional GES’s capacity to handle such allegations, especially those involving rape. “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 regional office reportedly cleared Abdulai following an internal inquiry. However, Azure Awuni raised doubts about the process, noting that the committee responsible for the inquiry was chaired by the Obuasi East Director of Education. He said this raised serious questions about the committee’s ability to address allegations that require criminal investigation.
“Which of them on that committee is equipped to investigate rape? This is a police, a criminal matter,” he said. Azure Awuni also cited concerns from local residents in Obuasi East and Obuasi West, who reportedly said school management and regional education authorities ignored complaints when incidents occurred. “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 added.
The allegations, which include claims of rape, sexual harassment, and sexual assault involving female students, have attracted widespread attention following Azure Awuni’s documentary Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow. The film examines the alleged abuses at Obuasi SHTS.
Calls have intensified for the protection of students who have made complaints and for their allegations to be investigated independently. A GES administrative inquiry and a police criminal investigation serve different functions. Determining criminal responsibility requires following established legal procedures.
The GES inquiry reportedly aimed to examine the allegations internally, but the claims against Abdulai remain allegations until a fair and credible investigation establishes the facts. The situation has raised further questions about how schools respond to sexual abuse claims, the protections available to students who report misconduct, and the accountability of education authorities when such concerns arise.
Azure Awuni’s demand for a police probe reflects growing unease over whether administrative bodies can adequately handle allegations of this nature. The matter continues to provoke debate about the appropriate channels for addressing serious accusations within educational institutions.
According to Joy Online.
