The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Jacob Anaba, has alleged that 38 teachers at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) were asked to leave the school after speaking out against its headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai, amid allegations of sexual abuse involving female students.
Mr Anaba said the development raised serious concerns about how complaints against the headmaster had been handled and why teachers who allegedly raised concerns were asked to leave the institution.
He made the claims on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, October 19, following an investigative report by JoyNews correspondent Manasseh Azure Awuni into allegations of sexual abuse involving at least 14 students at the school.
According to Mr Anaba, reports of the alleged abuse date back to 2025, when students and parents began raising concerns, long before the matter gained widespread public attention in August 2026.
“As I speak to you, 38 teachers were being asked to leave the school. What was the reason?” he questioned.
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He alleged that the directive followed the work of a fact-finding committee chaired by the district director of education, who, he claimed, instructed the assistant headmaster to communicate the decision to the affected teachers.
Mr Anaba did not provide further details in the interview excerpts on the specific reasons given for asking the teachers to leave or the circumstances surrounding the directive.
The NAGRAT president also questioned why the complaints had not prompted earlier intervention by the relevant authorities, arguing that concerns raised by students and parents should have been addressed before the situation escalated.
He said the anger of students played a significant role in bringing the allegations into the public domain.
“It was a wrath of the students that brought this thing into the public domain. It happened earlier before that. It happened earlier before that,” he said.
Mr Anaba further alleged that the district director of education knew about the complaints but failed to take appropriate action.
“He knew about it. What measures did he take? He never. He allowed this thing to happen,” he claimed.
He called for a thorough investigation into the allegations and urged the authorities to ensure that anyone found culpable faced the appropriate consequences, regardless of their position.
“You see, this Ghana belongs to all of us. We have to protect the Ghana that we all belong to,” he said.
“So, if a member of us, a teacher, does the wrong thing, he must be taken through the due course of the law. No one should be shielded. No one,” he added.
Mr Anaba also called for the headmaster to leave the profession if the allegations against him were established, arguing that teachers occupy a position of trust and have a responsibility to protect the students under their care.
“This man should leave immediately. He can’t be a teacher again, because the profession that we decide to belong to is a noble one,” he said.
He stressed that the relationship between teachers and students carried significant responsibilities that demanded appropriate conduct.
“You have a fiduciary relationship with the student that you are handling. We may make mistakes, but not this type of mistake,” he added.
The headmaster has reportedly been interdicted and suspended following the latest revelations. The allegations against him remain subject to investigation, and any disciplinary or criminal liability must be determined through the appropriate procedures.
The claims concerning the 38 teachers also raise questions about the handling of staff who may have raised concerns about alleged misconduct at the school. The circumstances surrounding the directive, including the reasons for asking the teachers to leave and the role of the fact-finding committee, remain important issues requiring clarification from the relevant authorities.
