News
NDC directs Obuasi SHTS headmaster to withdraw from Juaben chairmanship race
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has directed the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, Zakaria Abdulai, to withdraw from the race for the Juaben constituency chairmanship or face disqualification.
The party’s Deputy National Communications Director, Julius Kwame Anthony, disclosed this during an interview on JoyNews’ The Probe on Sunday, October 18, 2026.
According to him, the party took the decision following reports of alleged sexual abuse in schools involving the headmaster, who is currently being investigated by law enforcement agencies.
He explained that the party had formally communicated its position to Mr Abdulai, insisting that he must withdraw his chairmanship bid or be disqualified.
“Our rationale is simple. This person is currently being investigated by law enforcement agencies who essentially report to our government,” Mr Anthony stated.
He added that the party had been aware of the matter since it came to light but had not previously made its position public.
The directive comes amid public concern over the allegations of sexual abuse in schools and the headmaster’s decision to contest the constituency chairmanship position.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) will undertake a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination exercise in schools from October to December 2026 to protect eligible girls against cervical cancer and other HPV related diseases.
The exercise, organised in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and its partners through the School Health Education Programme (SHEP), will be conducted in two rounds.
The first round is scheduled for October 19 to 23, 2026, while the second will take place from November 30 to December 4, 2026.
In a press release dated October 19, the GHS explained that health workers would visit schools across the country to vaccinate eligible girls aged 9 to 14 who have not yet received the HPV vaccine.
The exercise forms part of efforts to raise awareness about the routine HPV vaccine, increase vaccination uptake and strengthen the country’s routine immunisation programme.
The GHS has called on school authorities, parents, guardians, teachers and community leaders to cooperate with health teams to ensure the successful implementation of the exercise.
The Service reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the health and well-being of Ghanaians, particularly children, through vaccination and other public health interventions.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has held high-level discussions with organisers of the 2026 Global South Academic Forum in Shanghai, seeking to draw lessons from China’s acclaimed rural revitalisation and poverty reduction drive.
The meeting, led by the Forum Chair, Professor Lu Xinyu, explored practical areas of cooperation and knowledge exchange between Ghana and China, with focus on community-driven development, fisheries and aquaculture, local governance, sports initiatives, and infrastructure development.
According to officials, the engagement is part of a broader effort by the Ghanaian government to study tested development models that can be adapted to the local context to promote inclusive growth, empower local communities, and improve livelihoods across the country.
China’s success in lifting over 800 million people out of poverty through targeted rural policies, investment in agriculture and local infrastructure has become a global reference point for developing nations.
The Vice President’s team says insights from the Forum will help inform policy direction, particularly in strengthening decentralised governance, boosting the fisheries and aquaculture sector, and investing in community-level infrastructure and youth sports development.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang is expected to continue engagements with academic and development institutions while in China.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
