Forged certificate scandal in security recruitment poses grave threat to national stability – Jatikay Centre

The Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building has raised alarming national security concerns following revelations that recruits in Ghana’s security services were dismissed after presenting forged and doctored West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results. The security think tank’s intervention follows disclosures by the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, confirming the expulsion of several fraudulent candidates from training institutions. While commending the government for removing the affected recruits, the Centre insists that summary dismissal alone is grossly inadequate. It warns that permitting individuals with compromised integrity to access firearms, classified intelligence, and sensitive state infrastructure poses an existential threat to public safety.

Institutional flaws and criminal liability In a statement signed by the Executive Director of the Jatikay Centre, Adib Saani, and released on September 9, the organisation questioned systemic vulnerabilities that allowed fraudsters to advance into training facilities while legitimately qualified candidates remained sidelined. The centre advocated an immediate overhaul of the digital recruitment portals to ensure real-time verification of academic credentials directly with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) at the entry stage, rather than conducting retrospective checks during training. “The first question we should be asking is: How did they get that far in the first place? ” the statement questioned, adding that “in today’s digital environment, the recruitment portal should be designed to facilitate early verification of applicants’ academic credentials with WAEC before applicants are allowed to progress through the recruitment process,” the statement…