'President Mahama setting Haruna Iddrisu up for failure' - Former NPP MP claims

Collins Owusu Amankwah, former Manhyia North Member of Parliament, has claimed that President John Dramani Mahama deliberately placed Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu in that ministerial position to damage his political future.

According to the former legislator, the challenges currently affecting Ghana’s education sector, particularly the 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), have raised concerns about the level of support being given to the education minister.

“What is happening in the education system, I don’t want to believe that Mahama deliberately put Haruna Iddrisu in that ministry to disgrace him. Mahama wants to ruin Haruna’s political career. It is intentional, and that is why he placed him at the Education Ministry,” he said.

Speaking on Asempa FM on September 8, 2026, Collins Owusu Amankwah criticised the handling of this year’s school placement exercise, arguing that the situation appears to have defeated the purpose for which the CSSPS was introduced.

“The CSSPS was carefully thought through to help avoid such placement issues. What is happening? We are back to square one,” he stated.

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He questioned the rationale behind allowing parents and students to seek placement through alternative channels after years of relying on the computerised system to make the process more organised.

“Parents are now going to placement centres for their wards to be placed in schools. Now they say they want to do self-placement. Then what is the essence of the CSSPS?” he asked.

The former MP maintained that the current approach could weaken the system and undermine the opportunity given to candidates to identify their preferred schools ahead of the placement process.

He therefore urged authorities to reinforce the merit-based system, arguing that a properly implemented process would promote greater fairness and transparency.

“We need to build on the merit-based placement system. At least it can bring some form of fairness and transparency,” he said.

Owusu Amankwah also drew attention to the effect the difficulties are having on students and their families, saying much of the anxiety could have been avoided if the exercise had been better planned.

“The psychological trauma that the children are going through now could have been avoided,” he stated.

He emphasised that education remains central to Ghana’s development and called on the government to put students’ interests at the centre of efforts to resolve the ongoing placement difficulties.

“Education is key to development, so we should make sure the children’s future wellbeing is our priority,” he said.

The 2026 CSSPS exercise has faced criticism from parents, students and other stakeholders over issues including access, transparency and fairness.

In response, the Education Ministry has announced steps to examine aspects of the placement process.

Figures from the Ministry show that 527,932 of the 604,567 candidates who qualified have so far secured placements, accounting for 87.3 percent. A further 54,985 candidates were recorded as not qualifying for placement.

@asempa_fm

CSSPS Challenges: President Mahama deliberately sent Haruna Iddrisu to the Education Ministry to set him up for failure. The issues at the ministry clearly show that all is not well, and the government is not bailing him out — Collins Owusu Amankwah. #Ekosiisen

♬ original sound - ASEMPA FM

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