Deputy Health Minister Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah has urged the public to separate the political affiliation of the Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) headmaster, ZAkaria Abdulai from allegations surrounding his conduct, insisting that the matter should be handled without political interference.
Her comments follow reports linking the headmaster to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Juaben, where he is said to be the party’s constituency secretary and seeking a chairmanship position.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Dr Ayensu-Danquah said the focus should be on the allegations, the welfare of the students involved and the need for accountability, rather than the headmaster’s political background.
“We should not politicise such an issue. Even if he is a party chairman, the issue is about his conduct and the welfare of the students involved,” she said.
The Essikado-Ketan MP argued that the allegations should be investigated on their merits, regardless of which political party the headmaster is affiliated with.
“Crime does not have political colours or an expiration date. If he is found culpable, he should be punished accordingly,” she added.
Dr Ayensu-Danquah also raised concerns about the power imbalance inherent in teacher-student relationships, noting that students may feel pressured to comply because they fear possible consequences if they refuse.
She said reports of pregnancies among students, if confirmed, would also raise concerns about unprotected sex and the possible spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The Deputy Minister stressed that the girls involved must receive appropriate counselling and psychosocial support, warning that such experiences could have lasting psychological effects, including trauma, depression and suicidal thoughts.
She further expressed concern that the case might not be an isolated incident, suggesting that similar misconduct could be occurring in other schools without being reported.
Dr Ayensu-Danquah therefore appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to take the necessary steps to address the matter and consider a nationwide effort to identify and investigate similar cases.
“If possible, we should conduct a nationwide search and give students the opportunity to come forward without being judged, so that these issues can be dealt with appropriately,” she said.
She maintained that the priority should be to establish the facts, protect students and ensure that anyone found to have broken the law faces the appropriate consequences, irrespective of political affiliation.
