Obuasi SHS Headmaster Demands GH¢2m from Manasseh Azure Awuni and Multimedia Group in Defamation Suit
Zakaria Abdulai, headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, has sued investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and Multimedia Group Limited, seeking GH¢2 million in damages over publications he alleges damaged his reputation.
The suit, filed at the High Court in Accra on October 16, 2026, concerns reports published in May 2023 on Multimedia Group platforms, including Joy FM, Adom FM, MyJoyOnline and Joy TV. The publications allegedly accused Abdulai of sexually harassing female students at the school.
The case places allegations about conduct at the Ashanti Region-based school alongside a legal dispute over how those allegations were reported. However, the claims in the lawsuit have not been established as facts by a court, and the available report does not include responses from either defendant.
What the headmaster says was published
According to the statement of claim, Abdulai is challenging reports aired or published through programmes identified in the court documents as the Super Morning Show and a midmorning show.
He alleges that the publications claimed he had sexually harassed female students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School. He also disputes an allegation described in the court documents involving a female student who had reportedly presented a pair of shorts stained with his semen to Manasseh Azure Awuni.
Abdulai maintains that the allegations were published without sufficient evidence and damaged his reputation as an educationist, school head and politician. These are claims made by the plaintiff and have not been independently established through the court proceedings reported so far.
GH¢2m damages and an injunction sought
Beyond the GH¢2 million in special damages, the headmaster is seeking general damages for defamation and an order permanently restraining the defendants from making or publishing further statements he considers defamatory.
The writ of summons directs both defendants to enter an appearance within eight days of service, including the day of service. It warns that the court may give judgment in their absence if they fail to comply.
The report does not establish whether the defendants have been served or whether they have filed responses to the suit.
GES disciplinary findings cited in the suit
The legal action also refers to separate allegations reportedly made by some teachers at the school in August 2026.
According to Abdulai’s statement of claim, a disciplinary body established by the Ghana Education Service (GES) found those allegations to be false. He further claims that the allegations led to his interdiction following a recommendation by the Minister of Education.
These assertions are part of the plaintiff’s account in the court documents. The report does not reproduce the disciplinary body’s findings or provide an independent account of the process that resulted in his interdiction.
What happens next in the defamation case?
The central issue before the court is whether the publications identified in the suit were defamatory and whether Abdulai is entitled to the remedies he is seeking.
As of the information contained in the report published by ModernGhana on October 21, 2026, no response from Manasseh Azure Awuni or Multimedia Group Limited was included. The available information also does not establish that the court has made any finding on the merits of the case.
The next significant developments will be the defendants’ responses and any subsequent court proceedings or decisions. Until the matter is determined, the allegations made by either side must be distinguished from findings established by the court.
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