The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has asked for an independent investigation with a set deadline into claims of sexual abuse involving Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) principal Zakaria Abdulai and roughly 19 female students. They’re demanding better safety measures before the school opens back up.
“Before Obuasi SHTS reopens, GES needs to put independent safeguarding systems in place, offer counselling to students, and create clear, private ways for students to report abuse,” the Centre stated.
CSJ said that even though the headmaster should be considered innocent until proven guilty, this shouldn’t stop investigations or prevent alleged victims from speaking out. They did acknowledge the work done by the Bekwai Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), and the Ghana Education Service (GES). Ghana travel guide
The Centre also worried about possible problems with the systems designed to keep students safe. They pointed out that complaints were made to school leadership in February 2026 and to the Municipal Education Directorate in March, with more incidents supposedly reported in June and July.
“What’s really concerning is that complaints were brought to school management in February 2026 and to the Municipal Education Directorate in March, and that more incidents were supposedly reported in June and July. If these reports are true, they show that safeguarding systems didn’t work properly, not just that one person did something wrong,” it said.
CSJ wants the police and the Attorney-General’s Department to run an investigation with a time limit and for any institutions that didn’t do their job to face consequences. They also called on authorities to look after and help survivors and witnesses, following the Children’s Act and Ghana’s promises under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
The Centre also asked the GES to hire someone independent to check out sexual misconduct and safeguarding systems in schools, make sure the Code of Conduct is actually followed, set up private ways for people to report problems, and share reports regularly about what happened and how things turned out.
It also told the Ministry of Education to make sure students at Obuasi SHTS get counseling help and have safe, private ways to report abuse when school starts back up.
CSJ told the media and regular people to keep survivors’ names private and make sure they don’t cause more harm while still holding people responsible.
The Centre said it was willing to team up with the Ministry of Education, GES, DOVVSU, the Department of Social Welfare, and other groups working for change to get justice for the students and make schools safer from sexual abuse.