A civil society organization, YAYRA-SI YOUTH FOUNDATION (YSYF), has made a clarion call on authorities, key stakeholders and managers of Ghana’s educational institutions to ensure accountability, justice and survivor protection for school going girls.
The organization made the call amid sexual abuse allegations levelled against the headmaster of Obuasi Senior Technical School involving some 19 female students.
The alleged abuse incidents were made public in a video documentary released early this week by JOYNEWS’ investigative correspondent, Manasseh Azuri Awuni, dubbed “Inside The Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow”.
The 41 minutes footage reveals how some 19 female students of the Obuasi Senior Technical School were allegedly subjected to sexual abuses by the school’s head, Mr. Zakaria Abdulai.
The headmaster was ordered to be suspended on October 13, 2026, by the Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, with the Ghana Education Service (GES) officially interdicting him on October 14, 2026.
He faces interdiction amid allegations of gross sexual misconduct and abuse of office involving female students at the school.
Yayra-Si Youth Foundation
Yayra-Si Youth Foundation (YSYF) is a non-governmental organization dedicated to providing vocational training, entrepreneurship, and reproductive health education to young women in Ghana.
The Foundation is committed to improving the economic and health outcomes for women and youth in the country. YSYF engages in fundraising, strategic partnerships, outreach, and advocacy to support its mission. It is also involved in community service, such as delivering food hampers to underserved communities and participating in fundraising events to support its initiatives.
Executive Director of the Foundation, Mrs. Esther Naa Ankrah, a professional and resource person associated with vocational training and organizational leadership, including serving as the Head of Training at the Artisans Association of Ghana (AAG) and the Success Skills Professional Institute, has vehemently condemned the nefarious act of sexual exploitation in Ghana’s educational institutions and, has hereby express deep concerns over recent reports of alleged sexual abuse at the Obuasi SHTS.
“Educational institutions are expected to provide safe environments where students can learn, develop their talents, and pursue their dreams without fear of intimidation, harassment, or sexual exploitation. Any abuse of authority by a person in leadership represents a serious betrayal of trust and a violation of the dignity and fundamental rights of the affected girls and must be treated with the utmost seriousness”. She aptly added.
“We wish to emphasize that no position of authority grants anyone the right to sexually exploit or abuse a student. Every girl deserves to be treated with dignity, protected from harm, and given equal opportunities to succeed in life”. Mrs. Ankrah posited.
She further added that, albeit her outfit (YSYF) acknowledges the actions taken by the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES), including the interdiction of the headmaster and the directive for the Ashanti Regional and Obuasi East Municipal Education Directors to step aside pending investigations, it still believes prudent steps beyond the initial actions will augment fundamental
procedural effect to curbing the menace.
“While these are important steps, the response must go beyond administrative action to ensure justice, protection for the affected girls and accountability for any institutional failures established through the investigations”. The Executive Director clarified.
The Foundation makes six (6) calls:
1. Immediate and comprehensive survivor-centered support: We urge the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, working with GES, the Ghana Health Service and relevant child protection agencies, to ensure that all affected girls have access to confidential, professional and trauma-informed psychosocial support, appropriate healthcare and legal assistance. Their safety, dignity, privacy and continued education must be prioritized. This support must be sustained beyond the investigations and public attention.
2. Thorough and impartial criminal investigations: We call on the Ghana Police Service and relevant investigative authorities to ensure that all allegations brought to their attention are promptly and thoroughly investigated, with due regard for the rights and wellbeing of the girls. Where the evidence supports criminal charges, prosecution must follow in accordance with Ghanaian law and due process. Administrative sanctions must not replace criminal accountability.
3. Accountability for institutional failures: The reported failure to act on earlier complaints is particularly troubling. We call for an independent examination of how complaints were received, documented, escalated and handled at the School, Municipal and Regional levels. The investigation must establish who was informed, what actions were taken and where responsibilities may have been neglected. Any official found to have concealed complaints, obstructed investigations or failed in their duty to protect students must face appropriate disciplinary or legal consequences.
4. Protection against intimidation and further harm: The victims, their families and individuals who reported concerns must be protected from threats, victimization, stigma and retaliation. Investigative and disciplinary processes must safeguard their confidentiality, minimize repeated questioning and prevent practices that could expose them to further trauma.
5. Stronger safeguarding and reporting systems in schools: We urge the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to review the effectiveness of existing school safeguarding and child protection mechanisms. Every school must have accessible and confidential reporting channels, clear procedures for escalating complaints, trained safeguarding personnel and effective oversight. Students must be able to report abuse safely, including when allegations involve school authorities.
6. System-wide safeguarding reforms and accountability: Beyond this particular case, we call for regular safeguarding assessments in educational institutions, stronger monitoring of compliance with child protection policies and clear consequences for failures to fulfil safeguarding responsibilities. The Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) must ensure that existing policies translate into meaningful protection for every student.
We further appeal to parents, guardians, teachers, traditional leaders, religious organizations, civil society groups, and the general public to challenge attitudes and practices that normalize sexual violence, silences survivors or protect alleged perpetrators because of their social standing or societal standings.
We encourage anyone with relevant information to report it through appropriate and safe channels. At the same time, the public and the media must exercise restraint by avoiding the publication of information that could identify the affected students or expose them to further harm.
Yayra-Si Youth Foundation stands in solidarity with the affected girls and all survivors of sexual violence. We call on the relevant authorities to ensure that investigations are conducted fairly, promptly and without political or institutional interference, while keeping the public appropriately informed without compromising confidentiality.
As an organization committed to advancing the rights of women and young people, we will continue to advocate for safer educational environments and monitor the response of relevant authorities.
Every child deserves to learn in safety and dignity.
When a girl finds the courage to report abuse, the system must respond with protection, action and accountability.
