Obuasi SHTS sexual abuse: Let's not get overly emotional to hang an innocent man – Osman Ayariga

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Osman Ayariga, has urged the public to exercise restraint in discussions surrounding allegations of sexual assault against the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School.

He said the allegations involving 19 students must be handled based on facts and evidence rather than emotions, stressing that the accused remains innocent until proven guilty by a competent court.

Mr Ayariga, who is also the Deputy National Youth Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), made the remarks on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily programme on Thursday, October 22.

He cautioned against publicly condemning the headmaster before investigations into the allegations had been concluded.

“We cannot hang a man even before he’s found guilty. What remedies then will we have for him if later he is found not to be guilty?” he asked.

Mr Ayariga also disputed claims that authorities had failed to act on the allegations until a media investigation brought the matter to public attention.

He said a committee had been established by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to investigate the matter and gather facts from the relevant actors at the regional level.

According to him, the headmaster had presented reports to the NDC suggesting that earlier GES investigations had not found him culpable and that some of the allegations were untrue.

He, however, condemned sexual abuse and maintained that the concerns of alleged victims must be taken seriously alongside the rights of the accused.

“Just as we also condemn, just as we look at the victims, we also need to look at the accused. Let us not overly get emotional, and at the end of the day, sometimes or mistakenly even hang an innocent person,” he stated.

The allegations against the headmaster have triggered public concern over child protection and the safety of students in Ghanaian schools.

The case has also renewed calls for accountability and effective measures to protect students from sexual abuse in educational institutions.