Politics
Kofi Asare Backs NDC’s Plan to Reform CSSPS for Merit
The Executive Director of Eduwatch Africa, Kofi Asare has underscored the significance of the NDC’s plans to comprehensively review the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
According to Asare, the review aims to eliminate corruption and ensure that the placement process is based solely on merit.
This move is expected to restore public trust and fairness in the system, which has faced criticism over allegations of favoritism, bribery, and manipulation of placements.
The proposed reforms prioritize transparency and accountability, providing equal opportunities for all students to access secondary education based on academic performance.
If successfully implemented, such changes could significantly enhance the credibility of the educational placement process and promote equity in access to quality education.
“The CSSPS currently allocates 30% admission protocol to public JHS graduates seeking admission into Category A schools.
“The assumption is that public JHS are patronized by the ‘poor’, most of whom learn under challenging situations in basic schools.”
Asare further proposed an innovative approach to reform the Category A protocol placements within the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
He suggested allocating an additional 20% of Category A placements to fee-paying students.
Under this proposal, wealthier families would have the opportunity to secure placements for their children in top-tier schools, provided the students meet the same cut-off score as their counterparts from public Junior High Schools (JHS) under the protocol system.
He noted that parents would be required to pay approximately GHC 8,000 annually for their wards to access these placements.
According to Asare, this system could serve as a practical solution to reduce the financial burden on the government while maintaining fairness in the selection process. “After all, some parents are paying 15-30k to middlemen for the same slots.”
Furthermore, Kofi Asare emphasized that the proposed fee-paying system could have a broader social impact by promoting inclusivity and supporting students from underprivileged backgrounds.
He explained that under this arrangement, the GHC 8,000 paid annually by each fee-paying student would be sufficient to cover the full educational expenses of two additional “needy” students.
This model, Asare noted, would create a self-sustaining mechanism within the education sector, where the financial contributions of wealthier families directly support the education of disadvantaged students.
“For example, a Category A school that admits 1,000 students a year would reserve 200 slots for fee-paying students, which would generate GHC 1.6 million a year, enough to cover the entire cost of feeding those 1,000 students in that year. And would be advance cash. Note: Feeding accounts for about 70% of the free SHS budget.”
He highligted that if the proposed fee-paying system is effectively implemented, it could significantly reduce the financial burden on the government, particularly concerning the cost of feeding students in high-demand Category A schools.
By allowing fee-paying students to cover their own expenses, the government would no longer be required to allocate funds for feeding in these schools, leading to substantial cost savings.
Additionally, Kofi Asare pointed out that this approach could address the persistent challenge of delayed disbursement of funds for school feeding.
Since fee-paying students would provide cash in advance to cover their fees and associated costs, schools would have immediate access to the necessary funds.
“Taxing the rich to care for the needy, while still making the rich happy.”
Asare posed a thought-provoking question, wondering whether it is feasible to adopt this approach or if the status quo should remain, allowing intermediaries and middlemen to continue benefiting from the system.
He highlighted that this ongoing arrangement contributes to persistent cash flow challenges, raising concerns about the sustainability and fairness of the current model.
Politics
MOF’s GHC16.3M Approval Causes Stir
In a recent development at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), a controversial decision has come to light regarding the approval of nearly Ghc16.3 million in taxpayer funds by the Ministry of Finance.
The approval, granted on 12th December, 2024, has raised eyebrows due to its dubious nature and the lack of a direct request for such a payment by the CAGD.
The Chief Director of the Finance Ministry, Eva Esselba Mends, greenlit the allocation of the Ghc16.3 million purportedly for upgrading the public financial management system.
This allocation, however, was not in response to the CAGD’s initial request made on August 14, 2024, for Ghc30 million to address the deteriorating working conditions of its staff.
Despite the CAGD’s explicit request for funds to improve staff conditions, the Finance Ministry’s approval focused on allocating funds for a system upgrade.
The discrepancy between the requested amount and the approved sum has raised concerns about possible mismanagement and misuse of public funds.
The letter of approval from the Finance Ministry referenced the CAGD’s earlier request but diverted the funds towards the upgrade of the financial management system.
This decision has prompted speculation and criticism from various quarters regarding the transparency and accountability of the process.
Acting Controller and Accountant General, Kwasi Agyei, emphasized the urgent need for support to address the challenging working conditions faced by CAGD staff.
The mismatch between the requested amount and the approved sum has cast a shadow of doubt over the motives behind the allocation.
The controversial approval of Ghc16.3 million amidst the backdrop of a different funding request has sparked concerns among stakeholders and observers.
The need for clarity and accountability in the allocation and utilization of public funds remains a pressing issue in light of this recent development.
Politics
NPA Boss in Dubious Last Minute Mass Shake Up
The outgoing Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mustapha Abdul Hamid, has given approval for a series of mass recruitments within the Authority despite being on the verge of leaving his position.
On the 11th of December, 2024, Abdul Hamid circulated a confidential memo labeled “Transfers, Movements, Appointments, and Upgrades” to both Management and staff, detailing the controversial recruitments and redeployments.
“As a follow-up to the memorandum dated 20th November, 2024, outlining measures to enhance the Authority’s efficiency in addressing the needs of internal and external stakeholders, the following transfers, movements, appointments, and upgrades will come into effect on the specified dates,” stated the memo.
The confidential memo contained a list of 49 names earmarked for recruitment, transfers, and appointments.
These individuals are purportedly affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP), raising concerns that Mustapha Hamid is filling the NPA with political allies.
Noteworthy is the trend of widespread recruitments occurring across various Ministries, departments, and agencies at the behest and coordination of outgoing officials from the Akufo-Addo administration.
Accompanying these actions are substantial payments being processed by the government, indicating what seems to be a final phase of plunder and subversion following the NPP’s defeat in the December 7, 2024, elections.
The incoming Mahama administration has pledged to reverse these appointments and financial transactions.
A statement released by the transition team and signed by spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu made it clear that the eleventh-hour appointments will be invalidated.
“To be clear, all public officials are strongly advised to resist any attempts by outgoing political figures to participate in these activities as there may be serious repercussions once the new government assumes office,” read part of the statement.
However, it has come to light that the last-minute appointments are being retroactively dated in a bid to circumvent the incoming administration set to assume power on January 7, 2025
Politics
Cyber Capo’s Torture ‘Chamber’ Uncovered
The Shocking Story of Kidnapping and Human Rights Abuse
The New Republic Newspaper has discovered a secretive dungeon hidden within the Osu suburb of Accra has been unearthed. Operatives of the clandestine National Signal Bureau are the masterminds behind this covert facility, utilising it to unlawfully detain their victims.
The Bureau, helmed by Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahen, stands accused of orchestrating a labyrinthine web of illegal activities, including the abduction of unsuspecting individuals under the cloak of darkness.
Adu-Boahene, recently embroiled in the suspected kidnapping of Sylvia, a manager at Emirates Airlines in Ghana, is described as a ruthless figure known to act with impunity.
Under the veil of secrecy, the Bureau’s rogue cabal, answerable solely to Director-General Adu Boahene himself, has brazenly flouted legal protocols by conducting unauthorized arrests and detentions.
Effort made by TNR to ascertain official position of the Signal Bureau on the shocking revelation has proven futile.
Journalists, political dissidents, and those deemed as adversaries to the Akufo-Addo government have reportedly fallen victim to the Bureau’s shadowy operations.
Within the confines of this clandestine dungeon, shuttered away from public scrutiny, detainees face unspeakable conditions at the hands of a formidable trio of rogue operatives.
Beset by state-of-the-art surveillance equipment procured from abroad, this cabal led by Ben Ansah, a notorious figure within the Bureau, operates with an air of superiority and divine authority.
The menacing presence of Henry Osei Tutu and Simon Kansonk further solidifies this rogue faction as a fearsome force within the Bureau.
The Bureau’s actions stand in stark contrast to its official mandate, which expressly prohibits the arrest and detention of individuals.
The brazen abuse of power by these rogue elements, operating stealthily within the National Signal Bureau, paints a troubling picture of unchecked authority and flagrant disregard for due process.
Allegations of past abuses by rogue National Security personnel underscore a pattern of misconduct and abuse which has fueled concerns over the wanton misuse of power within the security apparatus.
Security analysts have linked these troubling events to a renegade faction spearheaded by Henry Osei-Tutu and Benjamin Ansah, both key figures implicated in various illicit schemes, including abductions and staged robberies.
In the shadows of this covert operation lay disturbing accounts of prominent figures falling prey to these unlawful practices.
The unlawful detention of social media personality Albert Nat Hyde, known as Bongo Ideas, and the harrowing ordeal faced by Sylvia Patience Baah, the Emirates Manager, paint a grim portrait of state-sponsored intimidation and coercion.
As the sordid details of these illicit activities come to light, questions loom over the complicity of higher authorities within the National Security apparatus.
The spectre of abuse of power and the erosion of civil liberties cast a long shadow over the operations of the National Signal Bureau, shrouded in secrecy and intrigue.
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