Gender and child rights advocate Edith Efua Hiagbe is calling for the immediate arrest of Zakaria Abdulai, the Headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), who is at the centre of a scandal involving female students of the school.
Hiagbe says she is deeply disappointed that no action has been taken yet, despite what she calls “enough evidence” has been available since the incident occurred.
Speaking on TV3’s News Central Tuesday, October 20, 2026, she expressed disappointment in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) over how they are handling the matter.
While she acknowledges that the party’s decision to remove the man from the race is a “step in the right direction,” she insists it is still not enough.
“The young girls have been traumatized,” she stated, stressing the need for Abdulai to face the full rigours of the law. “He should face the law.”
The call comes in the wake of allegations against the interdicted headmaster of Obuasi SHTS, Zakaria Abdulai, who is at the centre of an investigation by Manasseh Azure Awuni titled ‘Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow’.
The investigation reported allegations of sexual harassment, assault and rape involving female students. The number of students who have reportedly come forward has risen from 16 to 19.
According to the investigation, the school’s Girl Child Coordinator petitioned management in February 2026, while five students reportedly made complaints to the Obuasi West Municipal Education Directorate in March. Further alleged incidents were reported in June and July.
NAGRAT President Jacob Anaba has also revealed that 38 teachers who spoke against the headmaster were asked to leave the school, and that complaints dating back to 2025 were ignored.
The headmaster was interdicted on October 14, 2026, on the orders of Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, who has referred the matter to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for criminal investigation.
The NDC, which had earlier cleared Abdulai, who is its Juaben Constituency Secretary, to contest the Juaben chairmanship despite the allegations, has made a U-turn. The party had said his constitutional rights must be respected while investigations continue, but has now demanded his resignation. He has since resigned from his position and withdrawn from the race.
Meanwhile, advocacy group, Child Rights International, has accused the GES of allowing sexual abuse in schools to fester, saying authorities silence and inaction on reported cases over the years have fueled the practice.
GES silence fueling sexual abuse in schools – Child Rights International
By Hamdia Dintitagi Tamimu
