New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Women’s Organiser Mavis Hawa Koomson has called for a swift, independent and transparent investigation into allegations of sexual abuse involving 19 female students of Obuasi Senior High School.
In a statement issued on October 19, 2026, she expressed shock and concern over media reports alleging rape, sexual harassment, sexual assault and other forms of abuse involving the school’s headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai.
According to the statement, some of the alleged incidents were reportedly brought to the attention of school authorities as far back as March 2026, but meaningful action was allegedly not taken to protect the students or address their complaints.
Mrs Koomson urged the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to investigate the allegations thoroughly and ensure that anyone found culpable faces the appropriate legal consequences, regardless of their political affiliation or institutional position.
She also expressed concern over reports of possible intimidation and victimisation of the affected students and their families, calling for measures to protect their identities and prevent reprisals.
The former minister further appealed to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to provide the students with counselling, psychological support, medical care and other necessary assistance.
She called on the GES to review its child protection and safeguarding policies, particularly those governing the conduct and supervision of teachers, headmasters and school administrators.
Hawa Koomson also urged civil society organisations, child protection advocates and other stakeholders to support an independent investigation, stressing that the welfare and rights of the affected students must remain the priority.
She maintained that the allegations transcend partisan politics and called for accountability and stronger safeguards to ensure that schools remain safe environments for children.
