The Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building has urged authorities to prosecute individuals who are found to have presented forged academic certificates to secure admission into Ghana’s security services training institutions.

The call comes after Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak disclosed that some recruits had been dismissed following the discovery that they submitted forged or altered West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results during the recruitment process.

Executive Director of the Jatikay Centre, Adib Saani, said while the dismissal of the affected recruits was necessary, it should not be the end of the matter.

He argued that the development exposed potential weaknesses in the recruitment and vetting procedures of Ghana’s security agencies, particularly in the verification of academic credentials.

According to Saani, applicants’ certificates should be checked with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) before they are allowed to advance to the training stage.

He said allowing candidates with questionable credentials to enter training while other qualified applicants remain on waiting lists could undermine fairness and damage confidence in the recruitment system.

The Centre called for a comprehensive investigation into the affected cases, with criminal prosecution for individuals established to have knowingly forged or used fraudulent certificates.

Saani maintained that certificate forgery should not be viewed merely as a violation of recruitment rules, noting that it may amount to a criminal offence.

He also warned of the national security implications of allowing people whose integrity has been compromised to gain access to security institutions.

He noted that personnel within such institutions may have access to weapons, intelligence, restricted locations and other sensitive state information.

The Jatikay Centre is consequently demanding an immediate review and audit of the recruitment and vetting systems used by the security services.

It wants the authorities to determine the number of fraudulent applications identified, how many applicants with questionable documents progressed through the recruitment process, how many are currently undergoing training and what safeguards will be implemented to prevent a recurrence.

The Centre said academic credentials must be verified before recruitment, applicants must undergo proper vetting before training and proven cases of fraud must be referred for prosecution.

“The security of the Republic begins with the integrity of the people we recruit to protect it,” Saani said.



AK/AM