Adansihene petitioned over reported transfer of 38 Obuasi SHTS teachers, school closure

A civic advocacy group in Ghana’s Ashanti Region has petitioned the Adansihene, Opagyakotwere Bonsra Afriyie II, to intervene in the sexual misconduct scandal involving Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) headmaster Zakaria Abdulai, demanding the reopening of the school and a review of the reported transfer of 38 teachers.

The Concerned Citizens of Adansi, in a petition dated 20 Octobe, also called for an impartial investigation into allegations involving the school’s administration and measures to protect teachers who raised concerns about the case.

Our children must not become collateral victims of an administrative crisis

The petition follows renewed scrutiny of allegations of sexual abuse involving female students at the school, brought to wider public attention by an investigation by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.

The investigation reported that complaints had been made to education officials and other authorities months before Abdulai was suspended.

Abdulai has denied wrongdoing and said he intends to pursue lawful avenues to clear his name. He remains interdicted as investigations continue.

The petitioners’ intervention comes after the president of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Jacob Anaba, alleged that 38 teachers were asked to leave the school after speaking out about the handling of the allegations.

Anaba said the directive was reportedly communicated through the school’s assistant headmaster following the work of a fact-finding committee.

The Concerned Citizens of Adansi said the reported transfers raised questions about administrative accountability and the possibility of victimisation, while acknowledging that the directive’s status and the reasons for it required official clarification.

“The displacement of teachers must not become a substitute for establishing the truth, nor should innocent educators suffer professional consequences for raising legitimate concerns,” the group said in its petition.

WASSCE fears

It urged the Adansihene to engage the education minister and the director-general of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to secure a review of the reported transfers, subject to verification and applicable administrative procedures.

The group also demanded the immediate reopening of the school, saying the continued disruption of academic activities had left Form Two and Form Three students at home without a clear return date.

It expressed particular concern about final-year students preparing for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), warning that the loss of classroom time could affect their examination preparation.

“Our children must not become collateral victims of an administrative crisis,” the petition said, calling for a time-bound reopening plan and academic recovery measures.

The group further demanded an impartial investigation into the substantive allegations involving the school’s administration and the circumstances surrounding the reported transfer directive.

It said the inquiry should establish the reasons for the directive, identify the officials responsible and determine whether proper administrative procedures had been followed.

Unjustified victimisation

The petition also called for teachers, students and other relevant persons to be protected against unjustified victimisation, insisting that the matter should be handled without partisan political interference.

The developments come as the GES has directed the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, William Amankrah Appiah, and the Obuasi East Municipal Director of Education, Kwamena Owusu-Nketiah, to step aside while investigations continue, citing the need to prevent interference or the perception of interference.

The GES has also maintained that Abdulai remains interdicted, dismissing reports that he had been cleared.

The petition was signed by the group’s president, Anthony Coffie, vice-president Samuel Kofi Koduah and general secretary Mohammed Rahman. Copies were sent to the education minister and the GES director-general.

The group appealed to the Adansihene to use his traditional authority to help resolve the crisis, protect the educational prospects of students and ensure accountability.