Minister orders suspension of Obuasi SHTS headmaster over alleged sexual misconduct

Education minister Haruna Iddrisu has ordered the immediate suspension and investigation of the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School over alleged sexual misconduct involving a female student, the Ministry of Education said.

The ministry said in a statement issued on Monday that its attention had been drawn to an investigation by JoyNews and investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni into the allegations.

Parents and Guardians have entrusted their wards in the care of teachers whose responsibilities are to protect and safeguard the children and not abuse them.

It identified the headmaster as Zakaria Abdulai.

“The Honourable Minister considers the issue serious and has directed the Director General of the Ghana Education Service to take effective immediate steps to suspend the Headmaster, Mr Zakaria Abdulai, pending full investigations into the matter,” the statement, signed by Press Secretary Hashmin Mohammed, said.

The minister has also requested the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters of the Ghana Police Service to begin investigations, the statement added.

The ministry and the Ghana Education Service said they would not tolerate alleged misconduct of this nature in educational institutions.

“Parents and Guardians have entrusted their wards in the care of teachers whose responsibilities are to protect and safeguard the children and not abuse them,” the statement said.

The directive comes amid renewed public scrutiny of safeguarding and accountability in Ghana’s second-cycle schools.

The allegations have not been established, and the headmaster’s response was not included in the ministry’s statement.