More than three people have been arrested for allegedly spreading false claims of bribery and manipulation in the ongoing Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Accra, the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, said the suspects were apprehended by national security operatives after alleging that officials were taking bribes to secure school placements for students.
According to the Minister, preliminary investigations revealed that the individuals had no links to the placement process and could not provide any evidence to support their claims.
“You know I’m not the police, so it’s the police who will give you that information. But what I can assure you is that they are even more than three. We have a very robust cybersecurity system, which is able to monitor and police fraudulent activities associated with the placement,” he stated.
Mr Iddrisu explained that national security operatives had earlier arrested three individuals over similar incidents, which prompted further investigations into the placement process.
“A few weeks back, we got national security to arrest three. They were interrogated. You recall when I said that, why would somebody with an aggregate of 37 be posted into a Category A school? That emanated from the earlier arrest,” he said.
He stressed that the Ministry has strengthened security measures and restricted access to the CSSPS portal to prevent manipulation and ensure accountability.
“We’ve limited access to the portal, and it’s part of our management of it. Sitting here as a minister, I don’t have access to the portal. The deputy does not have access. The chief has no access. The director of GES does not have access. We’ve adopted this strategy so that we can hold each individual accountable,” he added.
Mr Iddrisu admitted that while the current system is not flawless, the Ministry is working to address challenges in future placement exercises.
“Those who expect that I would have done some magic this year, I’m sorry to disappoint you. I will work to fix it as a problem in the future,” he assured.
Meanwhile, the Education Minister also announced that Cabinet has approved the absorption and payment of salary arrears for 6,200 teachers who have been working for months without pay.
“A few weeks ago, myself and the Chief Director received a petition from some teachers who were unhappy with the government over their unending work for a number of months without pay,” he revealed.
“I’m happy to announce that Cabinet has given approval for the 6,200 teachers to be absorbed. We’ll begin the process in due course. They will have their IDs and back pay.”
He further disclosed that Cabinet has authorised the Ministry of Finance to vire about GH¢1.1 billion to cover payments for both health workers and teachers.
“Cabinet gave the Minister of Finance approval to vire about GH¢1.1 billion to absorb a category of health workers and teachers,” he said. “The process will start soon, so there’s no need for further picketing.”
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