Accra, Ghana, October 21, 2026: Vice-President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called on Ghanaians to allow the law to take its course in the sexual abuse allegations involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), describing the case as a serious matter with consequences for the lives and futures of those affected.
Speaking to journalists at the Jubilee Lounge of the Accra International Airport on Wednesday, October 21, following her return from an official trip to China, she said the allegations required the attention of the entire country.
“What I want to say at this point is that this is a very, very serious matter. It is a matter of concern to all of us, and it is a matter of national concern,” she said.
She urged the public to allow the legal process to proceed, stressing that the consequences of sexual abuse could extend beyond the immediate circumstances of a case.
“What I want to see is that we all allow the law to take its course because this is a very serious matter, especially as it affects the lives of people, not only in the present but also going into the future. So let's allow the law to take its course,” she added.
The Vice-President said she had followed developments while outside the country and had received reactions to the case.
Her comments come amid mounting public concern over allegations involving female students at the school, the response of education authorities and the progress of the criminal investigation.
Vice-President acknowledges NDC's response
Professor Opoku-Agyemang also addressed the political dimension of the controversy, referring to action taken by the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) concerning the headmaster's bid to contest the party's Juaben Constituency chairmanship election.
“I've seen what the party did regarding this gentleman who wanted to run on our ticket. I've seen the letter that was written by our Secretary General,” she said.
The NDC directed Zakaria Abdulai to step aside from the constituency chairmanship race to allow investigations into the allegations to proceed without obstruction.
In a subsequent development reported on October 20, Mr Abdulai resigned as the party's Juaben Constituency Secretary and withdrew his candidature for the chairmanship position.
The party's action is separate from the criminal investigation and does not determine whether the allegations against him are proven.
Police investigation and the headmaster's legal status
The case has attracted renewed attention following an investigative documentary by Manasseh Azure Awuni, titled Inside the Dreaded Headmaster's Bungalow, which brought allegations involving female students at the school into the national spotlight.
The Interior Minister, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, disclosed on October 20 that the matter had been escalated to Police Headquarters in Accra for further investigation.
Appearing before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, he said he had requested that the investigation be handled at the national level after the matter came to his attention on September 7.
Mr Muntaka told the committee that the headmaster had been arrested and that investigators were pursuing DNA evidence as part of efforts to establish the facts. He also explained that the collection of DNA samples would require the appropriate court authorisation.
However, Bekwai Police Public Relations Officer ASP Lloyd Baidoo subsequently clarified that Mr Abdulai had been arrested following a complaint lodged on August 4 and later granted bail. He said the headmaster was at home and that police had submitted the docket relating to that complaint to the Attorney-General for study and advice.
The distinction is important. The police account indicates that the docket before the Attorney-General concerns one complaint, rather than all the allegations involving other students reported in connection with the school.
ASP Baidoo said additional allegations could be investigated if they were formally brought to the attention of the police.
The status of the individual complaint and the broader allegations must therefore be distinguished as the investigations proceed.
Two education directors directed to step aside
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Dr William Amankrah Appiah, and the Obuasi East Municipal Director of Education, Kwamena Owusu-Nketiah, to step aside with immediate effect pending investigations into the case.
In a statement issued on October 20, the GES said the measure was intended to facilitate the investigation and prevent potential interference or the perception of interference.
The two officials were instructed to hand over their offices and state property in their possession to the Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Thomas Kwame Boateng.
The service also reaffirmed that Mr Abdulai remained interdicted and urged the public to disregard reports suggesting that he had been cleared of the allegations.
The directive raises a broader question about institutional responsibility: whether concerns about students' safety were reported, how they were handled and whether any officials failed in their duties.
Those questions require evidence-based investigation. The decision to direct officials to step aside is not, in itself, a finding that they were complicit in or responsible for any alleged misconduct.
Parliament calls for protection and support for students
The Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights has urged the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Attorney-General to expedite the investigation and prosecutorial process where the evidence supports further action.
In a statement issued on October 21, the committee expressed concern over the allegations and reports that 19 girls had come forward in connection with the case.
It also called on the Ministries of Education and Gender, Children and Social Protection to ensure that affected students have access to psychological counselling and psychosocial support.
The committee stressed the need to protect students from intimidation, stigma and retaliation and to safeguard their privacy, dignity and education throughout the process.
It further called for an impartial investigation into any officials who may have received earlier complaints but failed to act, with appropriate accountability measures where dereliction of duty is established.
The committee's intervention shifts attention beyond the investigation of the headmaster to the responsibilities of institutions tasked with protecting children in schools.
What happens next?
The police have submitted the docket relating to the August 4 complaint to the Attorney-General for study and advice. Further action on that complaint will depend on the advice and directions issued by the Attorney-General.
The broader allegations highlighted in the JoyNews documentary also require appropriate investigation, including the handling of any additional complaints that come formally to the attention of the police.
For the students involved, the process must address more than whether a prosecution follows. Their safety, access to support, ability to continue their education and protection from stigma or retaliation are also important.
Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang's call for the law to take its course comes as the authorities face pressure to establish the facts and determine whether anyone should be held accountable.
The allegations against Mr Abdulai have not been established in court. The investigations must proceed fairly, while the institutions responsible for student welfare ensure that affected students receive appropriate protection and support.
