The Painful and Sad story of Sexual Harassments

....of Students Girls in Kanton Senior High School

The Global Reporter will like to create the awareness of the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service(Accra, Wa and Tumu) and all Non-Governmental Organizations and corporate bodies interested in the girl-child education to a report of an investigation it conducted on issues of sexual harassment in Kanton Senior High School (Kansec). Kanton Senior High School, a school located right in the district capital Tumu of the Upper West Region has been in existence for a long time and thus has transformed step-by-step to its current status. If my reference does not serve me wrong the current student population stands thousand plus.

With reference to the results of the thorough and accurate investigations conducted in February, 2011 by Action Aid Ghana on issues of sexual harassment in the two main Senior High Schools in the Sissala East District, the people of the district thought it was a joke and after denial from the two schools and the District Director of Education, the report was rebuked and thrown out. Though several media houses carried the story to help protect this innocently poor students, nothing concrete was taken.

The Action Aid Ghana report came after the imprisonment of one Mr. Richard for raping a student girl in 2009. It wasn’t long after this report that we had another rape issue involving one Mr. Doho Emmanuel and another student girl which unfortunately was kept under the carpet because he was the son of a chief from Sakalu and a close friend of the Headmaster of the time.

However, this Global Reporter report will reveal the few of the numerous sexual harassments these innocently poor students are confronted with day in and day out. Some of the students who spoke to Global Reporter on the condition of anonymity emphatically stated that Mr. Adamu Dentie Eliasu, a Graphic Design tutor is alleged to not only have sexually harassed the following students but also threatened to punish any girl who refuse his satisfy his illicit libido and finally succeeded in having sexual intercourse with them; Zuwera a home economics student, Rufiatu who was in form 3B and completed just this year, Shaizina 3G, Rejoice in 3A and Sala who all completed in the year 2013.

Strangely to is the fact that the Head of Department of the English Department who doubles as a traditional ruler in Kong, Mr. Zakaria Savei is also alleged to have slept with the following students: the same Rufiatu of 3B and shamira 3A and many others. An employee of Mr. Zakaria in SAVE GHANA, a NGO, admitted to all the allegations raised against his boss on Facebook except the Shamira girl though he admits he the employee have been having illegal and illicit affairs with the said girl. This is nothing new to right thinking people as it is the other of the day for people to come out and discredit some critically vital information to cover up the ills in society because they themselves might be victims. Similarly, Mr. Mac Coffie, the Head of Department of Mathematics is alleged to have gone even to the level of causing abortion with this student called Charlotte in 3C who was also their Girls' Prefect. Mr. Coffie further had an affair with another called Cinderilla who was in Girls House Two. Mr. Adams , an Economics tutor alleged to also succeeded in a student called Elizabeth 2A.

Mr. Bolunbu is alleged to have made advances to Comfort who was in 4A and Wasila who was in 3H. The School Bursar who is due for retirement this year and the school Assistant Sports master have also been engaging the female students into sexual relationships. Another tutor, Mr. Issah Suleman, who teaches General Knowledge in Arts was said to have assured one Ajara girl of marriage and after several sexual encounters and numerous abortion abandoning her finally. The said girl is still sitting at home with an unbearable life whilst Issah is still sharing his bed with several student girls especially those in the very classes he teach. Mr. Dramani, who is an Integrated Science teacher and equally a House Master was alleged to have tried to rape one Zeliya girl, who due to this sexual harassment have to take her transfer to attend Angel Educational Complex. This is not uncommon to almost to all the Kassena girls and boys in Kansec between 2012 to 2014. Again the same Dramani took one student girl called Sala who was in the Home Economics class of 2012 as a wife. This girl cooked for him and satisfied his bed for him for one good year despite objections from his wife. In fact, it was rumuored he abandoned his wife for the said student girl. Based on this fact, the Global Reporter was referred to Bichemboi where he taught before. Global Reporter investigation about Mr. Dramani virtually proved that his habit of sharing his sexual exploits with students is nothing new. Mr. Albert who is a Maths teacher was also said to have camped one Fatimah girl, who was the ASP in 2012 for one good year; serving, watering and warning his bed.

Another English tutor called Mr. Bassour Mohammed has always been seen tipsy or intoxicated during classes hours and sometimes vacate the class room to go to Bujan to operate his drinking spot at the expense of been in school to teach. Significantly, Mr. Adamu Eliasu, a culprit, admitted to all the allegations on the earlier versions posted on the Facebook page, Anti-Corruption Campaigner and only corrected one mistake, which is, the drinking spot is in Nabugubelle, his(Eliasu's) hometown and not Bujan, though they are near-by villages. He however later on deleted it on Facebook.

The concerned students Global Reporter interviewed on condition of anonymity said the rot is not only on sexual abuse but also financial and administrative malfeasance. They said they were made to pay thirty Ghana cedis for two pair of PE KITS and another thirty Ghana cedis for two pair of house vests but said they were only given one house vests each instead of the two and for the PE kits are even yet to receive one. They said all efforts used by their students representatives to solve the problem amicably with the school authorities proved futile. They said issues of this nature have been concurrent .These same students stated that as a result of the staff engaging the female students in sexual relationship there is no more discipline in the school despite the numerous de-boardinisations of other students who refuse the advances of the teachers.

These are the few of the numerous reports the Global Reporter have gathered and will therefore hope for a quick and speedy response from the necessary authorities to save and salvage the education and lives of these poor and innocent students. The argument that you cannot rear poultry and buy eggs from outside as used by almost all the teachers in the school must be put to an immediate stop. Though some of these students mentioned above refused to talk to the Global Reporter due to shame, guilt and perhaps embarrassment, the Global Reporter is still grateful to the many others who shared their views and sufferings in the hands of these teachers with us. The Global Reporter is also grateful to the other students who are still in school and managed to share their frustrations and hardships with us. Despite intimidations from the guilty and the culprits, the Global Reporter wish to thank all those who gave it words of encouragement and support to expose this evil and barbaric act in a second-cycle institution from people who are supposed and expected to know better.

Some of the key stakeholders within the District who spoke to the Global Reporter on condition of anonymity said the promiscuous and precarious sexual habit of teachers with their female wards isn't only a canker to the education of the girl child but also cause them financial losses because most of those girls involved end up failing miserably. This compelled some of the girls to engage in prostitution in urban areas after their completion because their teachers have already trained them into it in school for no tangible benefit.

In conclusion, the Global Reporter call on the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service to investigate thoroughly all this undeniable allegations and also re-visit the earlier investigations conducted by Action Aid Ghana in 2011 to speedily curb this canker. The Global Reporter plead a team should be sent from Accra as those in the District Education office are not trustworthy and can temper with the evidence and information that they will have used to save these girls and punish these illicit and immoral teachers.

The Global Reporter also call on all stakeholders interested in Girl-Child education to not only heed to a report from Kansec but send a team of experts to come on the ground and talk to the student girls in the school to address their plight.

The Global Reporter will want that if found guilty, all these teachers who are destroying the virginity, dignity and education of these girls by making their limit to education to only the Senior High should not only be transferred but prosecuted as well to sever as deterrent to others. The Global Reporter hope this report will not be thrown out like the way the Action Aid Report is thrown out after the Kansec teachers threw some pack of lies.

The Global Reporter is currently in the one of the Senior High Schools in the same district where it is told the situation is worse than that of Kansec. The Global Reporter will report on this and other related issues soon.

Abu Nabong Narawie: The Global Reporter