The former Gender Minister says calls for the law to take its course are insufficient without immediate support and protection for the affected students.
Former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisah Djaba, has urged Vice-President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang to visit students allegedly sexually abused at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), arguing that the affected girls need immediate support while investigations continue.
In an interview with JoyNews, Ms Djaba questioned what was being done to protect the students following allegations against the school’s headmaster.
Her comments follow a statement by the Vice-President describing the allegations as a serious national concern and calling for the law to take its course.
Ms Djaba said the Vice-President should demonstrate her commitment to the welfare of the students by engaging directly with them and ensuring they receive the necessary support and protection.
“While the law is taking its course, what’s happening to the children?” she asked.
“I would have expected by now that she herself would go there,” she added.
‘Much Is Expected’ of Ghana’s First Female Vice-President
Ms Djaba clarified that her appeal was not intended to confine the Vice-President’s responsibilities to women’s issues because of her gender. Rather, she argued that the country’s first female Vice-President had an opportunity to demonstrate leadership on matters affecting women and children.
Recalling the Vice-President’s appeal for women’s support during the election campaign, she said the significance of having a woman in the country’s second-highest political office should be reflected in concrete action on issues affecting their welfare.
“It’s not about gender boxing,” she said. “Nobody is saying that because you are a woman and you are a vice; only focus on women.”
She added: “When you have been given this huge opportunity, to whom much is given, much is expected.”
Djaba Questions Handling of Allegations
The former minister also criticised the handling of the allegations, arguing that an earlier and more decisive response could have prevented further harm to students.
Referring to April 2025, she questioned why the matter had not been addressed more effectively at the time, saying the number of alleged victims had reportedly risen to 19.
“The law, as we have seen, has failed us. The system has failed the girls,” she said.
“If this thing had been addressed in April of 2025, do you think we would be talking about 19 girls? No, it wouldn’t have gotten to that. It wouldn’t have.”
Ms Djaba further argued that intervention by the Vice-President in 2025 could have prevented other girls from allegedly being assaulted.
“If she had interfered, intervened in 2025, would we be talking about 19 girls? We would have avoided all these other girls being assaulted,” she said.
“And that is my pain,” she added.
The allegations remain subject to investigation, and the claims against the headmaster have not, by themselves, established criminal liability.
Former Minister Calls on Mahama to Speak Out
Ms Djaba also expressed dissatisfaction with what she considered an inadequate public response from President John Dramani Mahama, urging him to address the allegations clearly and demonstrate that child protection and the rule of law take precedence over political considerations.
“And the President of Ghana, what has he said? He’s the father of all of us,” she said.
Acknowledging that the person at the centre of the allegations was a member of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), she insisted that political affiliation should not prevent the President from speaking out.
“Yes, the person is a member of his party. But even if it is your child who has committed a crime against Ghana, you must speak up and let the people of Ghana know,” she said.
She added that a clear statement from the President could help ensure that the institutions responsible for handling the case acted decisively.
“If you spoke, I don’t think the police and these other institutions would be dilly-dallying and fooling around with what they are doing,” she said.
Ms Djaba’s appeal centres on the need for immediate protection and support for the affected students, alongside a thorough investigation into the allegations and accountability through the appropriate legal processes.
