Headmaster and staff sexually torture and harass girls at Tumu Senior High Technical School

• Posted on June 20, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Global Reporter would like to draw the attention of the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, NGOs interested in girl-child education and all religious bodies to the sexual gratification of teachers in the second cycle institutions in the Sissala East District of the Upper West Region.

When the Global Reporter first unearth or revealed the high rate of sexual harassment in Kanton Senior High School (Kansec), many people were surprised by the soaring level of moral decadence and pervasive sexual harassment of student-girls at the school. Giving only a gist of the worst form of sexual exploitation in Tumu Senior High Technical School, the Global Reporter presents the results of yet another intensive and accurate investigation.

Tumu Senior High Tech School, declining ad infinitum in academic performance, has somehow institutionalized sexual promiscuity between students and teachers. At the apex, the headmaster, Mr. Moro Baba Ahmed, leads the crusade to perpetuate this rot. On hearing the report of the sexual scandals at Kansec, this headmaster, popularly known as Mr Baba Pele, called an emergency staff meeting. And for what? To plead with the tutors who are closer to the girls to convince and/or coerce them so that they (the girls) never report their sexual tortures to the Global Reporter.

Reportedly, Mr Baba Pele also told the students a story at the morning assembly on Friday 13/06/14. Paraphrased below is the said story:

A lady wanted study leave with pay, and therefore needed her documents to be endorsed. But the officer-in-charge declined to sign the document, insisting he would only do that on condition that the lady allowed him to sleep with her. The lady refused. Lacking options, the lady agreed to the officer’s demand a year later.

At the end of this story, Mr. Baba paused and proudly said that for the lady allowing herself to be slept with, she was not only granted the study leave, but she is now pursuing her master’s degree. Effectively, Mr. Baba was/is teaching the students especially the girls to trade themselves for marks or for money from nowhere but from the teachers including himself.

In fact, what Mr Baba said was a Freudian slip. With 99.9 % confidence, the Global Reporter sadly informs educational authorities and the general public that Mr. Baba Pele is alleged to have sexually encountered several girls. Prominent among the headmaster’s tall sex list are Gifty (then in Voc. Class 3 and from Wellembelle) Zulifawu in Business 2B class and Kantong Rashida (Agric 2 A).

These few sexual torments of the headmaster were narrated to the Global Reporter by some current and former students. In the case of Gifty, the students claim that the relationship between her and the headmaster was so sweet that she even recorded some of their sexual bouts. Using these recordings, she later wanted action to be taken against the headmaster. And why? Because she felt the man was then going behind her and flirting with other girls. Reportedly, some of teachers pleaded with her to leave the matter.

About 100 former and current students and some staff members who spoke to the Global Reporter on condition of anonymity indicated that the only way to salvage the image of the school and the innocent poor student-girls is to have the headmaster transferred from the school and sent to a place where he will be under a 24-hour surveillance.

Another teacher, apparently equalling the headmaster or exceeding him in sexually exploiting girls, is Mr Muftawu Fasasi, a teacher of business management and the master of House 4. Purportedly, Mr. Muftawu always transports the students to his house and donates some to his friends. Expertly executing his plans, Mr. Muftawu succeeds nearly every girl by his way. And in the most unlikely event of any girl refusing his advances, he threatens her and even cooks different story when reporting such girls to his colleague-in-immorality, the headmaster. Such girls are either given indefinite suspension which is equivalent to dismissal or given heavy and serious punishment that prevents them from entering the classrooms for weeks.

A student-girl, Salifu Rukaya, who suffered from this wicked practice claim she was bold enough to refuse Muftawu’s illicit moves. Nonetheless, she fell prey to one Kanton George, a national service person. Being completely dissatisfied with his failure, Mr. Muftawu manoeuvred his way and succeeded in getting Rukaya dismissed from the school. And how did he achieve this? The girl said that Mr Muftawu gave her some clothing and that when she wore them, some of her colleagues said that the clothing were theirs. In his own submission, Mr Muftawu admitted giving some of the clothing to Salifu Rukaya. Consequently, Rukaya was unwarrantedly dismissed on grounds of stealing.

Standing tall among the extremely long list of Mr Muftawu’s sex preys are Rahinatu (then in Tech 3) and Anvia Rukaya (then in Voc 3). Both students completed in 2013/14 academic year. For those still at school, paper and time will only permit us to mention Kanton Adisah (Businesss 2B) and Zenabu (House 4 Prefect & in Voc 2 and also from Gwollu). Another student who suffered from his evil work is Gifty Afriyie who was sacked for reporting to police when he forcefully put his hand into her private parts (virgina) to remove a mobile phone.

Mr. Kanton George, whom the students described as a drunkard (drinking master), is alleged to have had copious sexual encounters with one Rashida and Warahama from Wa in General Arts 2A. Mr. Kanton is reported to have deceived Rukaya that he could help prevent her from being sacked. And what was the cause? He gave questions to the girl and when the questions eventually leaked, he exploited the situation by engaging her in numerous sexual sessions. Being the norm in the two secondary schools in Sissala East, an indefinite suspension was handed down to Rashida while the teacher went scot-free.

Next on the sexing teacher list is one Maruf who hesitates not in displaying his manship with Rashida and Barakatu (both in Agric 2). Mr Billy Goat, his name in the being, is widely tipped unanimously by the students as the topmost contender for the headship of the newly created ‘Department of Sexual Harassment’. Logically, the departmental office is to be located right in front of the headmaster’s office. And why? With an infrasound, Mr Baba Pele can signal for his choiced girls.

The Global Reporter can confirm that Daniel, the integrated science master nicknamed ‘You the Guys’, is said to be making sexual rounds with Sanatu (Voc 2B) and many others; here, the emphasis is on the word ‘many’. Many indeed! Mr. Gbanha Inusah from Sakalu is also alleged to have numerous sexual expeditions with many of the girls but key among them is Hajuamua (Gifty) from Nabugubelle (General Arts 2A).

Mr. Nansia Iddrisu (the senior housemaster) who is supposed to be in charge of discipline like his counterpart in Kanton Senior High School and hence should have emulated Mr. Mohammed Kanton (Gentleman) but was rather is alleged to have incessantly made advances to Fauzia (Agric 1B) until he had his way. Since succeeding her on that fateful all-night ordeal, his romantic love with her now continues unabated.

On the facebook page Anti-corruption campaigner, Mr. Marifa Alhassan Huaru, a chemistry tutor as well as the entertainment master in Tumu Senior High Technical, confirmed all the allegations in the first report about Kansec. And he posted this comment on 8 June 2014: “I want to ask the Campaigner these questions. Can he tell us whether he has not slept with a student-girl before?.can we say you harassed the student before sleeping with her? Sometimes when a teacher sleeps with a student, it is news but when an outsider sleeps with a student it is no problem. Let us be fair in our judgement towards our teacherssince you have feelings and everybody else has feelings”.

This above came from a tutor who is not only expected to teach but also to train the future leaders of this country. Expectedly, he is alleged to have had countless rounds of sex with one former student girl (name deliberately withheld). With the exit of his sex partner, he is jealously looking for one and from nowhere but from the school which has been turned into a sex camp.

The insulting and annoying thing the Global Reporter heard from some of the teachers is this: ‘The majority of the girls who come to the senior high schools are already ‘spoilt’ from the basic level’. And so? Notwithstanding, the Global Reporter is still fully abreast with such crimes at the basic level too. For example, during a SPAM meeting in Tumu, a JHS girl complained about how she is always being sexually harassed by one of the circuit supervisors.

Going by the principle ‘do what Romans do when in Rome’, the non-teaching staff members have also been drawn into action in the school, which is now turned into a ‘brothel’. Mr. Issah Kamal, the school bursar, is allegedly sleeping unsystematically with the student-girls especially with Mohammed Mariam (General Arts 2A). The nastiest and most outrageous of all the sexual incidences is that of the storekeeper. In his case, the students alleged that he does not taboo any student-girl, whether she is a relative or she is in her menses. Mr. Ahmed from Bujan Head of Social Department whom the students described as “No Sex No signing of Clearer Form”. For him, according students who spoke to Global Reporter on condition of anonymity said it will be a crime if they are able to give the number of his sexual encounter with the female students because he slept with almost all the old bones sexy female students. So disgusting were the names and so long were the stories that the Global Reporter sees it needless to ink them here. On request, such stories will be told as they were gathered.

The students (from both Kansec and the Sec Tech) further said since the first report on Kansec, they have not been allowed a little bit of breathing space. For example, they are chased and caned with ‘carpenter sticks’ for committing seemingly pardonable offences such as such waking up a minute late. Messrs Adamu Eliasu and Dramani, both recipients of district best teacher awards in their respective subject areas, lead this charge of whacking the students. Some of the students expressed their unhappiness about the inaction of some highly influential teachers especially Mr. Dramani at Kansec. Such teachers, according to the students, could have stopped the practice right from the beginning.

The above are just some of the few cases that the Global Reporter had decided to make known from Tumu Senior High Technical. Surprisingly, among all the names mentioned, any girl that is alleged to have been sexually harassed just once or twice is excluded. And why? Obviously because time and space will never permit that.

In consequence, the Global Reporter once again appeals to the appropriate authorities GES, NGOs and religious bodies to take charge of this situation and save the poor student-girls especially Rukaya who is currently at home. The Reporter pleads that a team from GES Headquarters be sent to investigate these stories further. This request is made because the one the district will constitute is mostly likely going to be partial.

The Global Reporter would like to thank those teachers from Kansec who posted messages of encouragement and support on the facebook page, Anti-corruption campaigner. The Global Reporter re-echoes the concerns of some stakeholders in the community, who have been complaining bitterly that if this canker is not eradicated, in the near future girls will fear to attend either of these schools. All the students, both current and former, whom the Global Reporter spoke with were happy about these investigations.

Despite all the odds, the Global Reporter wishes to thank the following teachers for their demonstration of high level of discipline and morality. From Kansec, the morally upright teachers are Yahya Mumuni, Job, Jacob, Munkail, Gordon and the two assistant headmasters. And from Sec Tech, such teachers include Amin, Peter Bawa and the two assistant headmasters. Your students said they are proud of the reputation you have thus far established for yourselves as morally-disciplined and hardworking person.

The Global Reporter is not interested in putting the aforementioned girls to shame but only seeks to correct the rot. Had it not been for Kansec and Sec Tech denying the Action Aid Report, the Global Reporter would not have mentioned names here.

-The Global Reporter