Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the MP for Korle Klottey and Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, has called for the creation of a national sex-offenders register to help protect children from sexual abuse.
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, November 10, she urged lawmakers and relevant state institutions to prioritise the proposal and strengthen existing mechanisms for safeguarding children.
She said the country could not continue reacting with public outrage whenever cases of child sexual abuse emerged without taking concrete steps to prevent future incidents.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings stressed that protecting children required more than the passage of laws and the ratification of international conventions, insisting that such commitments must be reflected in practical action.
She also argued that a national register would help promote accountability and ensure that individuals with records of sexual offences are properly identified, particularly in institutions responsible for children’s welfare.
Her appeal comes against the backdrop of renewed concerns about sexual misconduct in schools, following allegations involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, Zakaria Abdulai, who has been interdicted but denies the allegations.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, addressing the same matter, called for stronger legal consequences for sexual offences and urged the Attorney-General to review existing legislation for possible tougher penalties.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, meanwhile, disclosed that investigations by a committee established by his ministry into the Obuasi case were about 85 per cent complete.
Civil society organisations have also called for the introduction of a statutory sex-offenders register and compulsory background checks for school personnel as part of broader measures to improve child safety.
