Former Director General of GES, Dr Eric Nkansah
A former Director General of the Ghana Education Service, Dr Eric Nkansah, has denied claims that 39,000 appointment letters were issued in 2024 without financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance.
This follows accusations by the Minister of ducation, Haruna Iddrisu, who claimed the former Director General issued the letters without clearance, prompting a protest by some aggrieved teachers on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.
According to Dr Eric Nkansah, the allegations that 39,000 appointment letters were issued without financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance are factually inaccurate.
Read his full response below:
My attention has been drawn to a video circulating on social media in which the Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, alleges that 39,000 appointment letters were issued in 2024 without financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance.
I wish to state respectfully that this claim is factually inaccurate.Here are the facts:
• On 10th May 2024, the Ministry of Finance granted the Ghana Education Service (GES) financial clearance to recruit 16,500 graduate teachers from the Colleges of Education.
• Subsequently, on 26th July 2024, an additional clearance of 2,000 was approved to recruit more graduate teachers. (Copies of the clearances are attached for reference)
This brought the total financial clearance for graduate teacher recruitment to 18,500.
However, on 10th October 2024, the Ministry of Finance approved an amendment to part of this clearance, allowing GES to use 2,000 slots to recruit diploma teachers instead. This resulted in the following distribution:
Utilisation of Graduate Teacher Clearance (16,500):
• 12,784 recruited from Colleges of Education
• 2,629 limited university graduates recruited
• 920 used to offset the previous year’s spillover, as reconciled by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department in consultation with GES
Total utilised: 16,333
Balance remaining: 167
Utilisation of Diploma Teacher Clearance (2,000):
• 1,387 recruited
• Balance remaining: 613
Summary:
• Total financial clearance received in 2024: 18,500
• Total recruited: 17,720
• Total unutilised clearance: 780
It is, therefore, inaccurate and misleading to assert that 39,000 appointment letters were issued without financial clearance. Every teacher recruited in 2024 was backed by valid and documented clearance from the Ministry of Finance.
GA/AE