Former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection Otiko Afisa Djaba has criticised the handling of the sexual abuse allegations involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Mr Zakaria Abdulai, saying the case exposes serious failures in Ghana’s child protection system.
Madam Otiko said she was disappointed the matter might have been swept under the carpet if investigative journalists had not exposed it and the public had not demanded action.
“Ghana is not a serious country,” she said on Okay FM, questioning how the country could gain independence in 1957 yet struggle to protect schoolchildren from alleged abuse.
She expressed concern about reports that several female students had allegedly suffered abuse without the relevant authorities intervening promptly.
“How can a country that has been independent since 1957 fail to protect its own children?” she argued, stressing that every institution should prioritise child protection.
Djaba also questioned why the matter needed public exposure to receive serious attention, suggesting the school’s internal systems had failed the alleged victims.
She called for teachers and journalists who helped expose the allegations to be protected, warning against any attempt to punish people for speaking up.
“If people who report wrongdoing are victimised, who will have the courage to speak up the next time?” she said in a draft reconstruction of her argument.
The former minister also condemned suggestions that the school, families or community leaders should settle the matter privately.
She argued that allegations of sexual abuse involving children should not be treated as a family disagreement or an issue to be resolved behind closed doors.
“This is not a matter to be settled at home or in a room. It must be dealt with through the formal justice system,” she said in a draft reconstruction of her position.
Djaba insisted that the case must be handled transparently in court, arguing that the interests of the alleged victims should come before concerns about the school’s reputation or that of the wider community.
