Obuasi SHTS sexual abuse: The president has been on public platforms multiple times and has never addressed it – Akosua Manu

The Advisor on Gender and Social Protection to former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has criticised President John Mahama for failing to publicly address the alleged sexual abuse of 19 female students at the Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS).

Akosua Manu said the President's silence on the matter was concerning, particularly given his public commitment to gender equality and the protection of women and girls.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Friday, November 6, Ms Manu questioned why the President had not addressed the allegations despite making several public appearances since the incident emerged.

“Mind you, as we speak, think about it, and the President himself has been out multiple times and on public platforms has never addressed this incident where a head teacher in a school has sexually assaulted 19 girls. In the history of this country, nothing of this nature has ever happened,” she said.

She argued that the government's response had been largely reactive, suggesting that the incident exposed weaknesses in the systems for reporting, investigating and addressing sexual abuse in schools.

“So what he's saying now is just reactionary. Clearly, there are no systems in place that follow up on such allegations. It is also clear that there are persons who covered up, but for public outcry,” she stated.

Ms Manu further alleged that several state institutions, including the Ghana Education Service (GES), law enforcement agencies and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, failed to demonstrate sufficient urgency until public attention was drawn to the matter.

She warned that without public pressure, the allegations could have been swept under the carpet.

The former parliamentary candidate for Adentan also questioned why the police had not provided a detailed account of the investigations, calling for transparency from the authorities.

“We've not even had a presser, an up-to-date chronological order from even the police led by a female, the CID boss, in this matter. Just give us a blueprint of what you have done in spite of this issue,” she said.

She also expressed concern about the safety of the alleged victims and other potential witnesses, arguing that the handling of the case could discourage others from coming forward.

According to her, the alleged perpetrator had previously taught in other schools, making it necessary for investigators to establish whether other students may have been affected.

“Let us know that your concern goes beyond even Obuasi. He taught in other schools. There are people who are willing to speak up but, having observed how this thing has been handled, it's clear there's no protection for the victims,” she added.

Her comments come after the GES extended the mandate of its investigative committee probing the alleged sexual abuse at Obuasi SHTS by an additional week.