Security recruits dismissed over fake WASSCE results face permanent ban
Recruits found to have submitted forged or altered WASSCE results have been expelled from training, Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed says. Those implicated could also be barred from all security services and prosecuted.
Several recruits have been dismissed from Ghana’s security-service training institutions after checks with the West African Examinations Council allegedly uncovered forged or doctored WASSCE results.
Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed said those implicated would be placed on a “red list”, preventing them from applying to any of the country’s security services in the future.
He added that some could face prosecution, although he did not disclose how many recruits had been dismissed or when legal proceedings might begin.
The minister announced the action on 9 September during the inauguration of new classroom facilities at the Asokore Mampong Roman Catholic School.
According to him, the discrepancies emerged after academic certificates and results slips submitted by recruits were forwarded to WAEC for verification.
“It’s so shocking that a lot of people forged their results,” Mr Mohammed said.
“I don’t know how they think that they will be employed in the Police, Prisons, Immigration, Fire Service, Narcotics Control Commission, or Armed Forces, and the certificate you present won’t be checked.”
He said some recruits had already begun training before the alleged alterations to their results were detected.
“As we speak, many have been dismissed from the training because they have doctored their results slips,” he said.
The minister warned that correcting the academic deficiency later would not necessarily allow those found culpable to reapply.
“All those involved will be put on a red list. Even when they correct their results and return, they will not be admitted into any Service,” he said.
Mr Mohammed argued that falsifying academic credentials raised questions about an applicant’s suitability for institutions responsible for law enforcement, public safety and national security.
The warning applies to prospective recruits seeking admission to the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Narcotics Control Commission and Ghana Armed Forces.
Applicants have been advised to ensure that they meet the required academic qualifications before submitting their applications.
The minister said verification of academic records would continue as part of efforts to protect the integrity of the recruitment process and ensure that only qualified applicants enter the security services.
The number of people placed on the proposed red list, the specific institutions from which recruits were dismissed and the offences that could lead to prosecution were not provided in the minister.