Party card not certificate of immunity- Akosua Manu

Former New Patriotic Party parliamentary candidate for Adenta Constituency, Akosua Manu has called for an independent investigation into allegations of sexual abuse involving students of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, warning against any attempt to use political influence to shield persons accused of misconduct.

In a statement posted on Facebook, she questioned whether political loyalty had become more important than the safety and dignity of students, particularly girls entrusted to the care of educational institutions.

She said reports that students had complained about the alleged abuse, alongside concerns raised by teachers and petitions submitted to relevant authorities, raised questions about how the matter was handled.

“How many girls could have been protected if the first complaint had received the urgency it deserved?” she asked.

Ms Manu also expressed concern about what she described as a growing reliance on secretly recorded videos, viral social media posts and investigative journalism to prompt action from authorities in cases involving alleged misconduct in schools.

She questioned why students should have to use platforms such as WhatsApp, TikTok and Facebook to draw attention to complaints that should be handled by the institutions responsible for protecting them.

The former parliamentary aspirant further raised concerns about reports that the accused headmaster is a constituency secretary of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and an aspirant for the party’s constituency chairmanship.

She stressed that political affiliation did not establish guilt but insisted that allegations of political interference in the handling of complaints must be independently investigated.

“Political affiliation does not establish guilt. But any suggestion that political influence obstructed the handling of complaints demands answers,” she stated.

Ms Manu also questioned reports that the NDC had directed the accused to withdraw from the chairmanship contest or face disqualification, arguing that the party should be able to take precautionary measures while investigations continue.

She, however, acknowledged the accused person’s right to due process and the presumption of innocence.

She called on the NDC to investigate any alleged interference by its officials and hold accountable anyone found to have suppressed complaints, intimidated families or obstructed investigations.

Ms Manu commended investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and other journalists for bringing the allegations to public attention but maintained that investigative journalism should not replace effective child protection systems.

She urged the Ghana Education Service (GES) to account for complaints it received and the actions taken, while calling for an independent review of how allegations of sexual misconduct are handled across schools.

Among the measures she proposed were confidential reporting channels independent of accused persons, protection against retaliation, prompt referral of suspected crimes to the appropriate investigative authorities and professional support for affected students.

Ms Manu also appealed to Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang to use her influence to support an impartial response to the allegations, including where investigations may raise uncomfortable questions within her political circles.

She further called on the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, to provide information on support for the girls and their families, measures to prevent intimidation, and safeguards for the students’ privacy, education and access to justice.

“The girls at Obuasi need a credible investigation, professional support and the freedom to speak without fear,” she said.

She concluded that political affiliation must not shield anyone from accountability, stressing that the responsibility to protect students must take precedence over political interests.

By Jacob Aggrey