Education Minister Iddrisu Orders Probe into GH¢30,000 SHS Placement Bribery Claims Amid Outrage from MP Azumah
The Ministry of Education has launched an urgent investigation into allegations of rampant bribery in the Senior High School (SHS) placement process, following explosive claims by Akrofuom MP Joseph Azumah that a constituent paid GH¢30,000 to secure admission for their child.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has referred the matter to National Security for a “thorough and independent probe,” vowing that any perpetrators will face the “full rigors of the law” to preserve the integrity of the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
The scandal erupted after Azumah’s October 21 interview on Asempa FM, where the NDC MP recounted a distraught parent approaching him at his Community 16 residence for help with their child’s placement.
“Within a week, the person came back with evidence showing that they had paid GH¢30,000 to secure the placement. Why are we doing this to ourselves?”
Azumah lamented, alleging the payment was made to unnamed officials at the CSSPS secretariat to override merit-based assignments.
Similar accusations surfaced from Richard Asamoah Mensah, Secretary of the Construction and Building Workers’ Union of the Ghana Trade Union Congress (TUC), who reported instances of “extortion” in the system.
In a statement signed by Deputy Minister Dr. Clement Apaak, the Ministry described the reports as “deeply troubling,” stressing that “integrity and fairness are the bedrock of the school placement system… We will not tolerate any form of manipulation or corruption.”
Iddrisu has convened a high-level meeting with National Security, urging Azumah, Mensah, and the public to provide “credible evidence” for swift action. “This is a shared responsibility…
Ensuring a just and fair placement process is in the national interest,” the statement added, warning that culprits risk prosecution under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 296), for corruption and abuse of office.
The uproar coincides with the 2025/2026 SHS reporting window, where over 590,000 first-year students are settling in amid Free SHS subsidies, but persistent glitches and irregularities have plagued CSSPS since 2020, with prior probes uncovering 1,200+ complaints of undue influence in 2024 alone.
Azumah later clarified he lacks direct evidence but stands by the parent’s account, calling for “tighter supervision” to restore trust.
