Many dismissed over forged certificates – Muntaka on security service recruitment

Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed disclosed that a significant number of recruits have been dismissed from security services training institutions following investigations that revealed forged and altered West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) results. These fraudulent credentials surfaced when applicants' documents were scrutinized by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

The government has vowed to take further punitive measures against those found guilty of academic record falsification, including placing them on a red list to bar them from future career opportunities within the nation’s security services. Prosecution could also be pursued against some implicated individuals. At a ceremony marking the inauguration of new classrooms at Asokore Mampong Roman Catholic School, the Minister expressed his shock at the prevalence of such deceit among applicants for security roles.

He questioned how these individuals could think they would be employed by bodies like the Police, Prisons, Immigration Service, Fire Service, Narcotics Control Commission, or Armed Forces without their fraudulent certificates being subjected to verification. The Minister emphasized the fairness of the process, stating that potential candidates must truthfully declare their academic qualifications and meet the required minimum standards before applying to join any security services.

This revelation underscores the government’s intensified efforts to ensure honesty in academic qualifications during recruitment for security services, aiming to curb those who resort to forgery to gain entry into these institutions.