The story of the Obuasi Senior High Technical School headmaster continues to resonate across the country each day since it broke, bringing fresh revelations, most of them telling.
Until a few days after the breaking of the story, we, like other Ghanaians, did not know that petitions had been written by the victims of the Casanova to the Ashanti Regional Director of Education and the Municipal Director of Education, each of them not responding to the complainants.
The Ashanti Regional Director of Education especially, said he was unwell, and we wondered whether he had no deputy who could act upon the very serious petition since it bordered upon the serious instinct of a rampaging Casanova.
The tone of our commentary would have been different today but for the Ghana Education Service (GES) ordering yesterday that the Ashanti Regional Director of Education and Municipal Director of Education step aside as investigations continue into the case.
We congratulate the victims for writing the petition and forwarding same to the appropriate quarters although the officers who received them shirked their responsibilities under the circumstances.
That they have been ordered to step aside as investigations continue is sufficient warning to others who shirk their responsibilities, especially when grave misconduct such as under review takes place.
We ask that the victims who issued the petition are protected against attacks by the assigns of the alleged perpetrator.
We are surprised that a case whose docket has already been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department is said to be awaiting fresh investigations. Shouldn’t we smell an attempt at slowing down the process and eventually killing the case?
In any case, we are all ears as the so-called investigation is said to be about to commence.
Vice President, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has not spoken about the subject, and many are questioning whether she does not find the subject worthy of attracting her comments, let alone expressing solidarity with the affected victims and families.
As the first female Vice President, Ghanaian women look up to her for guidance and support in times like this when Casanovas, regardless of the ages of female students in their care, rather abuse them sexually.
The Vice President’s words would go a long way in assuring female students in both Senior High School and tertiary education levels that there is one of them at the presidency they can look up to for support when they are being abused.
Even the Gender Ministry, which should be seen to be active in ensuring that the appropriate responses are effected, is sleeping, the matter under review not the cup of tea of the minister.
We shall wait and see how things pan out as Zakaria Abdulai seeks to go to court to, as it were, clear his name. That is great to hear. The courts will hear all who take their plights to them. We just hope that the case will remain active until its final determination.
The young sexually abused girls demand justice, their plights matter.