As a university graduate in education, I remember the cautious optimism many of us felt when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo reshuffled his cabinet and appointed Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum as the new Minister of Education, replacing Honourable Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo). Dr. Adutwum, known for his calm demeanour and articulate communication on educational matters, was seen as a breath of fresh air. We believed that perhaps, at last, someone would champion the cause of unemployed graduates—especially those of us who had studied education with the hope of serving in Ghana’s classrooms.
Unfortunately, what followed was not hope fulfilled, but heartbreak multiplied.
The 2024 Recruitment Portal: A False Promise?
Exactly a year ago, on September 3rd, 2024, a recruitment portal was opened to absorb university graduates into the Ghana Education Service (GES). Thousands of us applied with high hopes, believing this was a genuine effort to address graduate unemployment. However, what we didn’t realize was that this initiative might have been politically motivated—a tool to mobilize votes ahead of the 2024 general elections.
For months, there was silence. Then, just a few days before the December 7th elections, GES released a communiqué stating that over 11,000 graduates had been picked and would be recruited in batches. A day before the election, the Ministry of Education even claimed that funds had been secured and that appointment letters were being released “bit by bit.”
Many of us believed that our long-awaited breakthrough had finally arrived. But what followed was a devastating blow.
Expired Clearances, Broken Dreams
If not for this current administration’s admission, we may never have known that more than 3,000 of the recruitment clearances were simply left to expire. Just like that—without explanation, apology, or accountability—our futures were pushed aside.
To make matters worse, there were credible reports and growing concerns that many GES slots had been sold to those with money or political connections. Those of us who had no financial means to “buy” our way in were left stranded, helpless, and unemployed. The dreams we had built through years of study and sacrifice were treated as disposable.
A Culture of Silence
Since the elections, an eerie silence has hung over the entire situation. There has been no follow-up from the Ministry of Education, no transparency from the Ghana Education Service, and no acknowledgement from any of the political leaders who made promises to us. It is as if we never existed. We were used for political gain and then discarded like expired goods.
Now, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the very man who oversaw this betrayal under his ministry, is seeking to contest for the highest office of the land—President of the Republic of Ghana.
And we ask: Do our leaders have any sense of guilt? Do they care about the ordinary Ghanaian who cannot afford political favouritism or financial influence?
We Will Not Be Silenced
Posterity will judge this moment.
To Dr. Adutwum and those who enabled this injustice—we may be voiceless today, but we will not be voiceless forever. The story of how you treated thousands of education graduates, how you allowed clearances to expire while others allegedly paid for slots, and how you used recruitment as a campaign strategy will not be forgotten. And we have been placed under ‘PENDING FOR CONSIDERATION “
We are watching. We are remembering. And when the time comes, we will speak—not just for ourselves, but for all the silent, struggling graduates of Ghana who deserve better.
Posterity is, indeed, our judge.
About the Author: Kwawu stanley Etornam is a Ghanaian education graduate who advocates for youth employment and transparency in the public sector.
Email: stanleykwawu@gmail.com
