Obuasi SHS Headmaster resigns as NDC Juaben constituency secretary amid sexual misconduct allegations
Story by: Regina Bless
The Headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, Zakaria Abdulai, has resigned as the Juaben Constituency Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and withdrawn his candidature for the constituency chairmanship position amid allegations of sexual misconduct involving female students.
In a resignation letter, Mr Abdulai announced that his decision takes immediate effect, expressing gratitude to friends, relatives and well-wishers who have continued to support him and maintain their belief in his innocence.
His decision comes amid investigations by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and a referral of the allegations to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
The development also follows deliberations by the NDC’s Functional Executive Committee over his participation in the party’s ongoing constituency elections.
In a statement issued on Monday, October 19, the party disclosed that it had considered either asking Mr Abdulai to resign voluntarily or disqualifying him from the Juaben Constituency Chairmanship race.
However, after inviting him to present his side of the matter and reviewing reports from the GES committee, investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, the party decided not to disqualify him at that stage.
The NDC explained that its decision was guided by the principles of fairness, natural justice and the presumption of innocence while the allegations remained under criminal investigation.
Mr Abdulai has now opted to step down from his constituency secretary position and withdraw from the chairmanship contest.
In his letter, he thanked those who had stood by him throughout the controversy, particularly individuals who continued to believe in his innocence despite the allegations.
The investigations into the allegations remain a key part of the unfolding case, with the outcome expected to provide further clarity on the matter.