Accra, Ghana, October 20, 2026: The Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Dr William Amankrah Appiah, and the Obuasi Municipal Director of Education, Kwamena Owusu-Nketiah, to step aside with immediate effect as investigations continue into allegations of sexual misconduct involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS).

The directive, issued in a statement dated 20 October 2026 and signed by GES Head of Public Relations Daniel Fenyi, is intended to ensure that the investigation proceeds without interference or the perception of interference.

The two directors have been instructed to hand over their offices and all state property in their possession to the Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Thomas Kwame Boateng.

GES also confirmed that the school's headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai, remains interdicted and urged the public to disregard reports suggesting that he had been cleared.

Allegations against headmaster under investigation

The headmaster faces allegations of sexual abuse involving female students at the school. The claims received renewed public attention following a JoyNews investigation by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, who has reported that the number of students who have come forward has risen from 16 to 19.

The allegations have not been established in court and remain under investigation.

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has referred the criminal aspects of the allegations to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, while the education authorities pursue the administrative aspects of the case.

The JoyNews investigation has also raised questions about whether school and education officials knew of earlier complaints and what action they took before the headmaster's interdiction.

Earlier GES inquiry under scrutiny

The latest developments follow an earlier GES inquiry into disturbances at the school in August 2026.

The committee investigating that incident concluded that the sexual harassment allegations it examined were not substantiated by the evidence presented to it. According to the committee's report, 16 girls were identified as potentially involved, but only four appeared before the committee.

That finding relates to the earlier inquiry and should not be treated as a determination of the newer allegations now under investigation.

Mr Azure has challenged claims that the Ashanti Regional Directorate's findings exonerated the headmaster, arguing that allegations of rape require police investigation.

The distinction between the earlier inquiry and the current investigation is central to understanding the case. The findings of one inquiry do not, by themselves, resolve allegations being examined through a separate process.

Teachers' association demands accountability

The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has called for the dismissal of the headmaster and GES officials in the Obuasi area over their alleged handling of complaints.

NAGRAT President Jacob Anaba has raised questions about reports that teachers who spoke against the headmaster were asked to leave the school. The claims have yet to be established through an independent investigation.

Parliament's Committee on Human Rights has also called for a speedy prosecution, adding to calls for the allegations to be investigated and addressed through the appropriate legal processes.

Headmaster resigns from NDC constituency position

Separately, Abdulai resigned as secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Juaben Constituency and withdrew his candidature for the constituency chairmanship on Tuesday.

In a letter to the party's General Secretary dated 20 October, he said his resignation and withdrawal took immediate effect. He also said he would pursue “all lawful avenues to clear my name”.

The political development comes as the criminal and administrative investigations continue. His resignation and withdrawal from the race do not determine the merits of the allegations against him.

The central questions remain what happened to the students who have come forward, whether their earlier complaints were handled appropriately, and whether the institutions responsible for protecting them acted when they should have.

The outcome of the investigations will be important not only in establishing individual responsibility, but also in determining whether failures in safeguarding and institutional oversight allowed the concerns to persist.