The Member of Parliament for Offinso North, Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, has called for the immediate suspension of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) Headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai, from the Board of the National Film Authority (NFA), pending investigations into allegations of sexual abuse involving female students.

The MP has also demanded an independent investigation into the handling of complaints against the headmaster, questioning why decisive action was allegedly delayed despite reports that complaints had been made as far back as March 2026.

In a strongly worded statement, Dr Asamoah said reports that the number of students who had come forward had risen to 19 raised serious concerns about student protection and the accountability of officials responsible for safeguarding them.

‘Buuuuulu’- Anger as netizens blast NDC Communicator over ‘he’s a rapist, so what?’ comment

He stressed that the allegations must be thoroughly investigated while respecting the rights of the accused, insisting that protecting children must remain the immediate priority.

“These are allegations, and Abdulai is entitled to the presumption of innocence and to due process. But when the safety of children is at stake, public institutions must act decisively to protect them while the facts are established,” he said.

Dr Asamoah questioned the sequence of events surrounding the allegations, pointing to reports that complaints had been made months before the August disturbances at the school. He noted that the Ministry of Education reportedly acted on October 13, after a journalist’s documentary attracted widespread public attention.

He asked whether the authorities would have taken the same action if the documentary had not brought the matter into the public domain.

“Ghanaians are entitled to ask: had the cameras not arrived, would the headmaster simply have been reposted, as the regional committee recommended?” he queried.

The MP further questioned who received the earlier complaints and why protective measures were allegedly not taken when the concerns were first raised.

He warned that transferring a staff member facing serious allegations to another school would not adequately address the potential risk to students.

“Transferring a person facing such allegations does not protect children; it only moves the risk elsewhere,” he stated.

The Offinso North MP also raised concerns over allegations that some teachers who stood up for the students had been asked to leave the school.

He said that, if confirmed, such claims would send a dangerous message to teachers and other school staff who report suspected abuse or defend vulnerable students.

Dr Asamoah also questioned reports that the headmaster continued to serve on the National Film Authority Board despite the allegations. He called on the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and the Authority to state their positions clearly.

He further cited media reports attributed to a former governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) constituency executive, suggesting that the allegations were known within local party circles and that some party members had sought to calm tensions.

The MP said these claims required clarification, questioning whether political considerations had taken precedence over the safety of students.

He also called on the government to establish whether anyone within the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service (GES), or political circles had intervened to shield the headmaster from accountability.

Dr Asamoah stressed that the allegations of political interference had not been established and must be investigated.

Beyond the investigation, Dr Asamoah has called for all sanctions imposed on students in connection with the August disturbances to be reversed.

He said the circumstances surrounding the protests must be considered, arguing that students should not bear the consequences of institutional failures if their earlier complaints had been ignored.

While condemning violence and the destruction of property, the MP maintained that the students who brought the matter to public attention deserved to be heard and protected.

He also called for a review of the actions taken against students who were arrested during the disturbances.

“The entire school community, students, teachers and parents, should not be punished for the alleged misconduct of one person,” he said.

Dr Asamoah has urged the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, who has reportedly taken over the school’s management, to reopen the institution immediately.

According to him, first-year students have been stranded for more than a month, while Form Two students have missed their promotional examinations.

He called on the Ghana Education Service to introduce a catch-up programme to help affected students recover lost academic time and prevent further disruption to their education.

The MP also demanded counselling and psychosocial support for affected students, alongside firm assurances that students and teachers who have spoken out would not face retaliation.

He urged the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), working with the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), to conclude investigations promptly while protecting the identities and privacy of all complainants.

Dr Asamoah said the case should trigger a broader review of safeguarding arrangements in Ghana’s second-cycle schools, particularly boarding institutions.

He called for an independent review of how the school, district and regional education offices handled the earlier complaints, with sanctions for any officials found to have ignored complaints or covered up wrongdoing.

Among the reforms he proposed are independent investigations into allegations against school heads, a ban on the quiet transfer of staff facing credible abuse allegations, mandatory reporting procedures, and protection for students and teachers who speak out.

He also advocated for the revocation of the National Teaching Council licence of any teacher found to have committed abuse, as well as the appointment of trained safeguarding officers in every senior high school.

As a member of Parliament’s Education Committee, Dr Asamoah said he would request a full briefing from the Ghana Education Service on the Obuasi SHTS case and safeguarding arrangements across the country’s schools.

He argued that institutions must move beyond reacting to public outrage and instead establish systems capable of identifying and addressing allegations of abuse before they escalate.

“A troubling pattern is emerging under this administration: action comes only after pressure, and only after the cameras arrive,” he said.

“Our children deserve a government that protects them before they are harmed, not one that reacts to headlines.”

Dr Asamoah concluded by insisting that no public position, title or political affiliation should shield anyone from accountability where the safety of children is concerned.

He urged the media and the public to respect the privacy of the students and allow the investigations to proceed without prejudice