Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company, Felicity Nelson, has admitted that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) made a mistake in its initial response to sexual abuse allegations against Obuasi Senior High Technical School headmaster Zakaria Abdulai.
Felicity said she disagreed with the party’s initial statement and immediately expressed her concerns about it.
“I just want to admit that yes, our party goofed. Instantly, the minute they issued that statement, I wrote against it,” she said.
She stressed that the welfare of children must take priority when serious sexual abuse allegations emerge, even while the claims are being investigated.
“The idea that these are allegations, but as a party, we must always ensure that when we are talking about children, we must ensure that we care, and we support children,” she stated.
Felicity added that Abdulai’s political career should not take precedence over the pursuit of justice for the alleged victims.
“So even though they still stand as allegations, his political career, he can put that on hold, but we cannot put the justice we need to seek for the children on hold,” she said.
She also questioned the message the party’s initial response could send to children and parents across the country.
“What message are we sending to the kids out there and all the mothers, all the fathers, all the parents out there?” she asked.
Nelson, however, welcomed the party’s decision to correct its position, reiterating that its initial response was a mistake.
“So I feel like we did goof. I admit that we goofed, but I am glad to see that we went back and corrected that,” she added.
