Former National Youth Authority (NYA) Deputy Chief Executive Officer and 2024 NPP parliamentary candidate for Adentan, Akosua Manu, has questioned the response of the Ministers for Gender and Education to allegations of sexual abuse involving children and students.
In a facebook post on Friday October 16, 2026, she called for equal attention and urgency in addressing cases involving women and children, regardless of their social standing, political connections or the level of public attention they receive.
In a statement, Akosua Manu questioned why the Gender Minister was quick to contact the husband of a popular influencer following allegations involving child abuse, but appeared not to show the same level of concern for the children of Salomey Awiti.
Salomey Awiti’s children, she noted, may have suffered emotional and psychological distress following their mother’s arrest and detention in Accra for almost three weeks.
She raised concerns about allegations of rape involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, Zakaria Abdulai, and questioned what steps the Gender Minister had taken in response to the matter.
Akosua Manu further asked the Minister for Education to explain the action taken over the allegations.
Her comments follow a Joy News investigation into alleged sexual abuse at the school. The headmaster was interdicted, while another housemaster was suspended, as the police began investigations into the matter.
Akosua Manu argued that the protection of women and children should not depend on their influence or the publicity surrounding their cases.
She warned that differences in the response to such cases could create the impression that some victims receive more compassion than others.
“The true test of leadership is not how quickly we respond to high-profile cases, but how firmly we stand up for those who may have neither influence nor a powerful voice to speak for them,” she stated.
She called for consistent empathy and accountability from public officials, stressing that every woman and child deserves protection and equal treatment under the law.
By: Jacob Aggrey
