The Ghana Education Service has given its headquarters investigative committee two weeks to submit a report on the alleged sexual misconduct scandal at Obuasi Senior High Technical School, following fresh revelations from an exposé by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.
The directive forms part of efforts by the Service to establish the facts surrounding the allegations and determine the appropriate disciplinary action against any individuals found culpable.
Director-General of the GES, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Adom News, explaining that investigations at the headquarters level had only just begun.
According to him, the Service initially requested an investigation by the regional directorate after reports of disturbances at the school came to its attention.
He said the regional report was subsequently submitted to the headquarters and referred to an investigative committee for further examination.
Professor Davis stressed that the regional findings and recommendations do not represent the final outcome of the case, as the headquarters committee is expected to independently assess the report and determine the next course of action.
He explained that the committee could agree or disagree with the initial recommendations, provided it gives reasons for its decision, before further disciplinary action is considered by the appropriate authorities.
“I want to emphasize here that nobody has been cleared. The process has just begun,” he said, cautioning against treating the regional report as the conclusion of the investigation.
The GES Director-General said the process had received further attention following the release of Manasseh Azure Awuni’s exposé, which he said provided additional information requiring thorough investigation.
He disclosed that the new details appeared to implicate the regional and municipal directors of education, prompting the Service to ask both officials to step aside to allow for an unimpeded investigation.
The headmaster of Obuasi SHTS is also on interdiction and is not permitted to manage the school until the matter is determined and the appropriate decision is taken.
Professor Davis said the decision to have the officials step aside was intended to ensure that investigators could establish the facts without interference.
He added that the committee could invite individuals who had provided additional information to assist with its work.
The Director-General maintained that the investigation would cover not only those directly implicated in the alleged misconduct but also officials whose actions or inactions might have contributed to the situation.
He assured parents and the general public that the GES would not shield any staff member found to have breached the Service’s code of conduct.
According to him, anyone found culpable would face the appropriate sanctions, while the Service would continue to strengthen measures to protect students from sexual misconduct in schools.
