Thousands of newly recruited staff into the Ghana Education Service in 2024 remain unpaid for months(almost a year now) after assuming duty, as delays in issuing Staff Identification Numbers (IDs) continue to hinder salary processing.
Despite completing their postings and actively teaching in classrooms for nearly a year, some are still yet to be placed on the government payroll, leaving them financially vulnerable.
The issue gained national attention following a protest on June 23, 2025, when the group of affected teachers—primarily from the 2022 batch of College of Education graduates—stormed the headquarters of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in Accra.
Their demand was straightforward: issue staff IDs and pay outstanding salaries. The demonstration highlighted the growing frustration among the newly posted staff who have not received any remuneration since their appointment.
Addressing the matter on the floor of Parliament on June 25, 2025, the Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, acknowledged the delays and outlined the factors contributing to the situation.
He explained that the financial clearance granted in 2024 for teacher recruitment expired before the GES could complete the onboarding process.
As a result, thousands of newly recruited teachers were left without staff IDs and could not be added to the government payroll.
The Minister further disclosed that discrepancies in personal data have compounded the problem.
“Mismatches between Ghana Card details and SSNIT records—particularly concerning dates of birth—have created validation challenges”, he noted.
These inconsistencies are critical, as they affect retirement age calculations and payroll eligibility, making it impossible for the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to process salaries without proper verification.
Hon. Iddrisu assured Parliament that the Ministry of Finance is expected to issue a new financial clearance following the Mid-Year Supplementary Budget presentation.
He noted that once the clearance is received, the GES will proceed with issuing staff IDs and activating their salary payments.
He also noted that data validation has already been completed to eliminate ghost names and ensure payroll integrity.
According to figures presented by the Minister during his presentation, a total of 5,643 newly recruited staff—comprising both teaching and non-teaching personnel—were without staff IDs.
This, he indicated includes 582 teachers from Colleges of Education, 2,650 university graduates, and 298 diploma holders who were unable to complete salary input before the end of the previous financial year.
However, the current reality is that the Mid-Year Budget has been read, yet no mention was made of the unresolved staff ID and salary issues.
These newly recruited staff, many of whom have been working without pay for almost a year, say they are suffering.
According to them, the silence following the budget presentation is deeply disheartening and has left them feeling neglected.
They are now appealing to the Minister of Education and all relevant authorities to take urgent action to resolve their plight before the start of the 2025/2026 academic year in September.
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