The National Democratic Congress (NDC) will recall the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Mr Zakaria Abdulai, if substantial evidence emerges linking him to allegations of sexual abuse, the party’s Deputy General Secretary, Mustapha Gbande, has said.
Speaking during a panel presentation on Joy News on October 19, 2026, Mr Gbande said the party had decided to allow ongoing investigations into the allegations to proceed without compromising the rights of the headmaster.
He explained that the NDC’s National Executive Committee had taken note of the Education Minister’s directive for a criminal investigation into the allegations, as well as legal proceedings reportedly initiated by the headmaster over claims of defamation relating to a documentary on the matter.
Mr Gbande said the party considered it appropriate to allow the various processes to run their course before taking further action.
“The National Executive Committee also informed him that we will be monitoring the process. Any time that anything points to quite substantial evidence of his involvement in this, given the nature of the investigations that are going to be carried, the party will call him back,” he said.
He stressed that the party was mindful of the public interest surrounding the allegations but did not want to interfere with the investigations or prejudice the rights of the individual concerned.
“We want to make sure that the processes are run properly. We do not overrun the substantive processes triggered by the Minister and the GES,” he added.
Mr Gbande said the party had engaged the headmaster and questioned him on the issues raised, but maintained that the outcome of the investigations would be important in determining the party’s next steps.
Asked about the headmaster’s response to the allegations, Mr Gbande said he had denied involvement in the alleged sexual abuse.
He, however, declined to speak on the headmaster’s behalf, saying the individual would have the opportunity to present his defence before any committee or investigative body that required his appearance.
“I would not hold brief for him because in any place where he is called, be it a committee, be it having to appear before investigative bodies, he would have the opportunity to state his case. And so I wouldn’t be his PRO,” he said.
The allegations have drawn public attention and prompted calls for accountability, with the Education Ministry and the Ghana Education Service expected to pursue the relevant investigative processes.
The NDC’s position, according to Mr Gbande, is to monitor the investigations and take appropriate action if credible evidence emerges implicating the headmaster.
