Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Apaak has issued a direct warning to the nation’s education directors: any official who conceals allegations of sexual abuse against teachers or headteachers will be held personally accountable, as the Obuasi Senior High Technical School scandal exposes deep failures in the system’s safeguarding chain.
Speaking at the 33rd Conference of Directors of Education at the GNAT Hall in Bolgatanga on Monday, Apaak said the case involving the Obuasi SHTS headmaster—who faces allegations of sexually abusing at least 19 female students—must serve as a turning point in how the education system handles abuse reports .
“When a child or a parent reports sexual abuse by a teacher or a headteacher, that report is not an inconvenience to be managed quietly. It is not a reputational risk to the school that must be contained,” Apaak told the gathering of regional and district education directors.
The Obuasi Scandal
The Deputy Minister’s intervention follows revelations by JoyNews investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni that the Obuasi SHTS headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai, allegedly abused students over more than a year, with complaints reportedly reaching education authorities as early as February 2026 . The school’s Girl Child Coordinator and safeguarding officer petitioned management in February, and five students lodged complaints with the Municipal Education Directorate in March. Further incidents were allegedly reported in June and July—yet formal action came only after the documentary aired .
Apaak did not discuss the specifics of the case, stating it was under investigation. But he made clear that the ministry’s directive was non-negotiable: every allegation must be reported promptly through proper channels, and every accused person must be removed from contact with learners while investigations proceed.
“Do not shield any teacher from the consequences of credible allegations in the mistaken belief that you are protecting the system. You are not,” Apaak said. “You are endangering the next child, and you are endangering yourself, because a Director who conceals abuse is not a bystander to it.”
Institutional Failures Exposed
The Obuasi case has already prompted wider scrutiny. The Ghana Education Service interdicted Abdulai on October 14 and directed the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Dr. William Amankrah Appiah, and the Obuasi Municipal Director of Education, Kwamena Owusu-Nketiah, to step aside to ensure the investigation proceeds without interference .
Eduwatch has called for a nationwide audit of teacher-student sexual misconduct and safeguarding systems, citing a JoyNews review that documented 44 reported cases involving teachers and school heads between January 2015 and October 2026 . The Minority Women’s Caucus in Parliament has demanded an independent inquiry into how earlier complaints were handled, including any political interference .
Apaak’s remarks appeared designed to preempt any inclination among directors to protect colleagues or institutions. “Our schools exist to protect children, not to protect adults who betray that protection,” he said.
The Ministry of Education’s own 2023 Guideline for Addressing Sexual Harassment in Secondary Education Institutions requires schools to appoint Safe Space Focal Persons and routes formal complaints through grievance committees. But critics note that the guideline establishes no national register of substantiated misconduct findings, allowing staff accused of abuse to potentially move between schools unchecked .
A Minister’s Record on Accountability
For Apaak, the directive is consistent with a record of demanding institutional accountability. As an opposition MP, he called for a forensic audit of the Scholarship Secretariat over alleged corruption in state scholarship awards. After joining the government, he insisted his integrity remained intact, stating in February 2026: “Facts are indeed sacred” .
Now, as Deputy Minister, he is applying that same standard to the education directors who sit at the midpoint of the system—senior enough to influence outcomes, but close enough to schools to know what is happening.
“I say this to you as a direct instruction from the Ministry: every Director who fails in this duty will be held to account,” Apaak said. “This is not optional, and it is not negotiable.”
The conference, held under the theme “From Policy to Classroom: District Leadership for Quality Learning Outcomes and 21st Century Skills for National Development,” brought together 317 directors from across the country .
