The Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) has asked the public not to label the country's teachers as sexual predators following the abuse scandal at Obuasi Senior High Technical School, an appeal its communications director made on October 22, 2026. Speaking on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Kingsley Ayimadu condemned the alleged acts as disgraceful and urged Ghanaians to let investigations run their course.
At the centre of the storm is Zakaria Abdulai, a former headmaster of Obuasi SHTS, who was implicated in an investigative documentary by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni. The exposé, titled Inside the Dreaded Headmaster's Bungalow, laid out allegations involving more than 14 female students at the school, according to GhanaWeb.
One bad nut, Ayimadu insists, must not spoil the barrel
Ayimadu did not mince his words about the former headmaster. He said Abdulai must face the full rigours of the law and be sanctioned appropriately if found guilty. But he pushed back hard against the wave of generalisation sweeping social media since the documentary aired.
“We must tread cautiously in how we respond to this issue because families and young pupils are involved. It is simply not true that every teacher engages in such reckless behaviour. This is a case of one bad nut spoiling the whole barrel,” Ayimadu said.
He pointed to the credibility of the victims' accounts as a reason the case cannot be waved away. The accusers come from different backgrounds and have no personal connections to one another, which he argued makes any suggestion of a coordinated conspiracy highly improbable.
“How could 19 different students accuse the same individual of violating them? These victims are unrelated, making any suggestion of a conspiracy highly improbable,” he added.
PRETAG's Gender Desk is already following the case
This is not an association hiding behind silence. Ayimadu said PRETAG has taken a keen interest in the matter and instructed its Gender Desk to follow up closely on developments at Obuasi.
The association has already engaged a parent of one of the victims, who confirmed the incident and retained material evidence containing alleged physical proof, he said. PRETAG has also gathered that another teacher at the school taunted the victim instead of offering support, a detail that deepens the concern about the school's response culture.
“I am not attempting to defend wrongdoing, but it is unfair for anyone to claim that all Ghanaian teachers are predators. We are not trained to be rapists or sexual offenders,” Ayimadu said.
Why this matters for Ghana's schools and its economy
Education is the engine of Ghana's human capital, and the overwhelming majority of the country's teachers show up every day to protect and build that capital. Ghanaian classrooms are staffed by professionals bound by legal and ethical frameworks to safeguard pupils, as Ayimadu emphasised, not exploit them.
That is precisely why a scandal of this magnitude cuts so deep. When trust between parents and schools collapses, enrollment suffers, community engagement weakens, and the investment Ghana has made in expanding access to education loses part of its return. For a country betting its future on skills and knowledge work, safeguarding that trust is not optional.
Ayimadu acknowledged the widespread anger the documentary triggered, but he cautioned that heightened emotions could compromise the ongoing investigations or further traumatise the victims and their families. Due process, he insisted, will deliver the truth either way.
“Investigations are currently underway, and if he is found guilty, he will be punished accordingly. If he is exonerated, the truth will likewise prevail. Nevertheless, there is compelling evidence suggesting that these incidents occurred,” he said.
What happens next at Obuasi SHTS
PRETAG has made its position clear: no cover-up, no defence of wrongdoing, and no tolerance for conduct that betrays the profession. The association's Gender Desk will continue to track the case, and the former headmaster's fate now rests with the investigative process.
For Ghanaian parents, including the diaspora families who entrust their children to the country's schools, the message from the teachers' own association is direct. The profession is prepared to see one of its own punished if the evidence holds, and it is asking the public to judge the evidence, not the entire teaching community.
FAQ
What is the Obuasi SHTS scandal about?
A documentary by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, Inside the Dreaded Headmaster's Bungalow, implicated former headmaster Zakaria Abdulai in alleged sexual abuse involving more than 14 female students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School.
What has PRETAG said about the case?
PRETAG's Director of Communications, Kingsley Ayimadu, said the former headmaster must face the full rigours of the law if found guilty, while asking the public not to brand all Ghanaian teachers as rapists or sexual predators.
What action has PRETAG taken?
The association has instructed its Gender Desk to follow the case closely and has engaged a parent of one of the victims, who confirmed the incident and retained material evidence containing alleged physical proof.