On Tuesday, November 10, Speaker Alban Bagbin delivered a scathing rebuke in Parliament over alleged attempts by some politicians to shield Zakaria Abdulai, the interdicted headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, from sexual misconduct accusations. Bagbin said he was saddened by the attitude of certain political figures who treated the allegations as if nothing had happened and even tried to support Abdulai’s bid for a leadership position.
“It’s only cheap men who do that. You know? Yes. Please, let’s move away from that and do what is right,” Bagbin said, adding that no society has developed by doing what is wrong. “All the countries that you visit and you see they have developed; they have values that they treasure: integrity and honesty, very high,” he continued.
He warned that political leaders who joke with the matter would face serious punishment. “Those involved, particularly political leaders, if you joke with it, will punish you seriously because of this single case,” Bagbin said. He urged Parliament to monitor the case closely to ensure justice for the students involved.
In the same session, Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu revealed that investigations into the allegations were 85 percent complete, with evidence pointing to a possible prima facie case against Abdulai. Iddrisu said the ministry’s investigative committee was nearing completion, while the Police Criminal Investigations Department was handling the criminal aspects of the alleged sexual assault.
Bagbin also urged the Attorney General to review existing laws to introduce stiffer penalties for sexual abuse offences. He called for a serious, service‑oriented approach to leadership, warning that interference would undermine integrity and honesty in public office.
The case remains under active scrutiny by Parliament, the Ministry of Education, and the Police CID. Observers will watch to see whether the headmaster’s alleged misconduct leads to further legal action and whether the political backlash against interference intensifies.
