Collins Owusu Amankwah accuses Mahama of setting up Haruna Iddrisu over CSSPS crisis

Former Member of Parliament for Manhyia North, Collins Owusu Amankwah, has accused President John Dramani Mahama of setting up Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu to a challenging role without providing the necessary support. This comes in the wake of numerous issues surrounding the 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Mr Owusu Amankwah expressed his concern over the current placement predicament, describing it as a regression from the CSSPS objectives. He questioned why some parents and candidates were allowed to seek alternative placement arrangements after the computerised system was introduced to simplify the process.

"What is happening in the education system, I don’t want to believe that Mahama deliberately put Haruna Iddrisu in that ministry," he said. The former MP also highlighted the emotional strain this crisis is causing on students and their families, stressing that the current situation could have been avoided with better planning and implementation.

Mr Owusu Amankwah urged for the government to strengthen the merit-based placement system, which he believes could bring fairness and transparency. "We need to build on the merit-based placement system. At least it can bring some form of fairness and transparency," he said. The Education Ministry has announced measures to review aspects of the 2026 CSSPS process, following widespread concerns from parents, students and other stakeholders.

Out of 604,567 qualified candidates, 527,932 were successfully placed (87.3%), while 54,985 did not meet the placement criteria.