…As NPP Mounts Pressure on Her Over Women, Children Issues
By Gifty Boateng
Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has called for due process in the sexual assault allegations involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Zakaria Abdulai, describing the matter as a serious national concern with far-reaching consequences for victims and society.
The Vice President made the remarks upon returning from an official trip abroad, amid growing public calls for justice for more than 19 female students allegedly affected by the case.
She stressed that the seriousness of the allegations required the public and relevant institutions to allow the legal process to proceed without interference.
“What I want to say at this point is that this is a very, very serious matter. It is a matter of concern to all of us, and it is a matter of national concern,” she said.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang added that the potential consequences of sexual assault could affect victims well into the future, making it imperative for the appropriate authorities to handle the case diligently.
“What I want to see is that we all allow the law to take its course because this is a very serious matter, especially as it affects the lives of people, not only in the present but also going into the future. So let’s allow the law to take its course,” she stated.
The Vice President also disclosed that she had been monitoring developments surrounding the allegations while outside the country and was aware of the public reactions and steps taken by the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
She said she had seen the letter issued by the party’s General Secretary, Fifi Kwerey, concerning the headmaster, who had been seeking to contest on the NDC’s ticket for the position of constituency chairman.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang further referenced comments by the Minister for the Interior at a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting, indicating that she had followed the unfolding developments despite her absence from the country.
NPP Pressure Mounts
The Vice President’s comments come after sustained calls by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for her to publicly address issues affecting women and children, particularly the allegations emerging from Obuasi SHTS.
The party urged her to use the influence of her office to promote the protection of girls and ensure that justice is served in the case.
Before her intervention, the NPP had incessantly called on the Vice President to speak on issues affecting women and children, urging her to use her important office to cause change.
The party made it a point to target and draw in the former Education Minister for every topical issue concerning women and children. In recent past, when some social media users sympathetic to the NPP, especially TikTokers including a nurse Salomey Awity Baffoe, were arrested and remanded into police custody, she was called to intervene.
This is despite the government having in place a woman as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection.
National Women Organiser of the party Mavis Hawa Koomson, in a statement calling on authorities to investigate the matter swiftly, made a special appeal to women across the country, including the Vice President, to take a sustained interest in the matter and support efforts to secure justice and strengthen safeguards for girls in educational institutions.
In a statement, Ms Koomson said the case transcended political affiliations and institutional interests, describing the protection of vulnerable children as a collective responsibility.
“This matter transcends political affiliations, institutional loyalties and individual interests. It concerns our collective moral responsibility to protect vulnerable children, uphold the rule of law and ensure that educational institutions remain places of learning, opportunity, dignity and safety,” she said.
Manu Urges VP to Act
Akosua Manu, an adviser on Gender and Social Protection to former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, similarly urged Professor Opoku-Agyemang to use her office and influence to support an impartial response to the allegations.
In an opinion article titled “A Party Card Is Not a Certificate of Immunity,” published on her social media platforms on Monday, October 19, 2026, Ms Manu argued that political affiliation should not shield anyone from accountability.
She maintained that the Vice President’s position as a woman occupying one of Ghana’s highest leadership offices carried significant meaning for girls across the country and should contribute to tangible improvements in their safety and welfare.
“Your voice and influence must help secure an impartial response, even where it requires uncomfortable questions within your own political circles,” she wrote.
Manu also raised concerns about reports that complaints about alleged sexual misconduct at the school had previously been made but apparently remained unresolved.
She called for answers from the relevant authorities regarding what they knew about the complaints, when they became aware of them and what steps were taken to protect the students.
She further urged the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, headed by Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, to clarify the support being provided to the alleged victims and their families.
POWA Defends Veep
Meanwhile, the Progressive Organisation for Women Advancement (POWA) has defended Professor Opoku-Agyemang against what it considers unfair criticism over her response to issues affecting women and girls.
In a statement signed by its Founder and President, Victoria Lakshmi Hamah, PhD, the organisation argued that the Vice President’s status as Ghana’s first female occupant of the office should not make her personally responsible for every challenge involving women and children.
POWA maintained that Professor Opoku-Agyemang should be recognised as a national leader with responsibilities extending beyond gender-related matters to include economic transformation, education, institutional development, social protection and international relations.
“Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang is the Vice President of Ghana, not merely the Vice President for women and girls,” the statement said.
The organisation cautioned against placing disproportionate expectations on the Vice President solely because of her gender, arguing that doing so could undermine broader efforts to recognise women’s capacity to lead across all sectors of national life.
It acknowledged that women in leadership have an important role to play in advancing gender equality and protecting vulnerable groups but stressed that such responsibilities must be exercised within the framework of institutional mandates, collective governance and the rule of law.
POWA also argued that celebrating the Vice President’s historic achievement should not result in confining her public identity and leadership to issues traditionally associated with women.
Investigation Ongoing
The debate surrounding the Obuasi SHTS allegations has renewed attention on child protection, the handling of sexual misconduct complaints in educational institutions and the responsibilities of public officials in responding to alleged abuse.
While the NPP and its representatives have called for stronger public leadership and accountability, POWA has cautioned against placing the burden of every gender-related concern on the Vice President alone.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang’s latest comments emphasise the need for the law to take its course, while calls for investigations, victim support and institutional reforms continue.
The allegations against Zakaria Abdulai remain subject to investigation, and the relevant authorities are expected to establish the facts and determine any criminal liability through due process.