The Ghana Education Service (GES) has flagged some lists submitted to it by schools for laptops that the government is distributing to teachers, as containing fake names and IDs.
In a statement, the GES directed all District Directors of Education and school heads to undertake validations and winnow out all fake names from lists that they submit warning such fakery constitutes fraud.
“The attention of the Management of Ghana Education Service has been drawn to the fact that some Metro/Municipal/District Directors of Education in submitting the name of teachers for the laptops have added names of persons who do not qualify, including non-teaching staff and retired or separated staff,” the GES said.
According to the GES, the inclusion of these ghost names constitutes fraud. “District Directors of Education and Headteachers are reminded that such conduct constitutes FRAUD,” the statement warned.
All district directors of education have, therefore, been ordered to validate the list which has been sent and submit an updated list by close of work on Tuesday, 31st August 2021.
In May 2021, The GES took delivery of 280,000 laptops for distribution to teachers under the government’s so-called free laptops project.
Even though it is touted as “free,” teachers are to pay 30% of the cost over 12 months while government bears the remaining 70%.
Even so, the government’s good intention is already being threatened by greed and corruption as revealed by the GES in its statement.
If the nefarious moves by the shady persons padding lists with ghost names are not arrested, the laptops may mostly end up on the black market instead of the classrooms.