Obuasi:A committee investigating the disturbances at Obuasi Senior High Technical School in August 2026 has identified Kwasi Brefo, the school's sports master, as the teacher who allegedly incited and mobilized students to attack the headmaster. The incident took place in the Ashanti Region and led to significant unrest at the school.
According to Ghana Web, the Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) reported that Brefo's conduct significantly contributed to the escalation of the demonstration into a physical assault on the headmaster. The committee found evidence that Brefo incited students to pursue and attack the headmaster during the demonstration.
The committee's findings also revealed that Brefo urged the headmaster to confess to burying a baby on the school compound while students were attacking him. This conduct was described as serious and inconsistent with the responsibilities of a teacher, which include maintaining discipline, protecting students and staff, and promoting peaceful resolution of grievances.
The disturbances on August 4, 2026, were triggered by the discovery of what appeared to be the remains of a baby buried on the school grounds. The unrest resulted in an assault on the headmaster and damage to both school and personal property. Brefo claimed he intervened by asking students to stop the assault and urged some to escort the headmaster to his bungalow for protection. However, the report noted that Brefo admitted to telling the headmaster to confess during the attack.
The committee recommended that staff and students whose conduct raised reasonable suspicion be referred to appropriate disciplinary authorities for further hearings. Brefo was named in these recommendations, with the committee advising that any sanctions follow an established finding of culpability and ensure each person has an opportunity to be heard.
The report also concluded that the allegation linking the headmaster to the burial was not substantiated by direct evidence. None of the students or teachers claimed to have witnessed the headmaster burying the baby. The investigation identified weak security, staff divisions, student gangs, and a breakdown of trust within the school community as factors that contributed to the disturbances.
The nine-member committee was inaugurated on August 11, 2026, to investigate the demonstration, the headmaster's conduct, and other related matters. Its findings are separate from a new investigation by the Ghana Education Service following a recent JoyNews investigation into another allegation of sexual abuse against the headmaster.
Source Ghana Web