The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has acknowledged a failure in the Ghana Education Service (GES) reporting structure in handling sexual abuse cases in schools.
Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Dr. Apaak said the Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) scandal exposed weaknesses in the system, with complaints allegedly failing to reach the national level despite repeated reports.
The scandal involves allegations of sexual harassment, assault and rape against the school’s interdicted headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai. An investigation by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, titled Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow, has brought the allegations to public attention.
Dr. Apaak said the Ministry of Education had decided to investigate why the complaints were not escalated, leading the GES to ask the Obuasi East Municipal Director of Education and the Ashanti Regional Director of Education to step aside.
“We have come to the conclusion that there is a failure in the reporting structure of GES, as far as these sort of abuses are concerned,” he said.
The headmaster was interdicted on October 14, 2026, while the Ministry referred the criminal aspects of the case to the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
The number of students who have reportedly come forward has risen from 16 to 19. The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) President, Jacob Anaba, has also alleged that 38 teachers who spoke against the headmaster were asked to leave the school.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka disclosed on Tuesday, October 20, that Abdulai had been arrested and the investigation transferred to Police Headquarters in Accra. He said investigators were following due process, including procedures for DNA testing.
Child Rights International has described the case as a sign of wider safeguarding failures within the GES and called for a complete overhaul of school protection policies.
