Haruna Iddrisu suspends Zakaria Abdulai over sexual misconduct claims

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to immediately suspend Zakaria Abdulai, the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS). The directive follows grave allegations of sexual misconduct involving a female student at the institution. The Minister’s intervention comes in response to investigative reports produced by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and JoyNews, which brought the alleged incident to public attention and prompted an urgent review by the Ministry.

In a formal communication to the Director-General of the GES, the Minister emphasized that the allegations are being treated with the utmost seriousness. Beyond the administrative suspension of the headmaster, the Ministry of Education has formally requested the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to launch a comprehensive investigation into the matter. This dual approach aims to ensure that both institutional disciplinary protocols and criminal justice procedures are followed to resolve the case.

The Ministry has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy regarding any form of misconduct within the country's educational institutions. Officials underscored that teachers and school administrators hold a fundamental duty of care to protect the students entrusted to them. By taking this swift action, the Ministry aims to maintain the integrity of the educational system and ensure a safe learning environment for all students. Further steps regarding the headmaster’s tenure will be determined by the findings of the CID and the internal GES inquiry.