General News
Coalition of Unemployed Graduates with Disabilities Gives Government One-Week Ultimatum Over GES Recruitment
GES recruitment has come under renewed scrutiny after the Coalition of Unemployed Graduates with Disabilities issued a one-week ultimatum to the Government of Ghana, demanding the immediate recruitment of its members into the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the enforcement of the government’s 5% employment quota for persons with disabilities.
At a press briefing on Monday, August 3, 2026, the coalition accused the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service of failing to honour assurances made following an earlier protest on March 24, 2026, when officials allegedly promised that unemployed graduates with disabilities would be systematically absorbed into the public sector.
According to the coalition, approximately 7,000 personnel were recruited during the recent GES recruitment exercise. It said it had submitted a verified list of 200 qualified graduates with disabilities holding diplomas and degrees in education and humanities from accredited universities and colleges of education across Ghana for consideration.
However, the group alleged that none of the graduates on its submitted list received appointment letters despite what it described as assurances that a minimum 5% recruitment quota for persons with disabilities would be implemented. The coalition argued that a 5% allocation from 7,000 recruitments should have translated into at least 350 placements for persons with disabilities.
The coalition described the outcome as “systemic discrimination” and “institutional neglect,” saying many qualified graduates with disabilities have remained unemployed for several years despite completing tertiary education.
The group also criticised Parliament, claiming that petitions submitted to the Speaker, the Majority Caucus and the Minority Caucus over the unemployment situation had not received the necessary attention or action. It argued that Parliament had failed to exercise its oversight responsibility to ensure compliance with existing laws protecting persons with disabilities.
The coalition further contended that the government’s actions violate both domestic and international legal obligations, including Ghana’s Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and Sustainable Development Goal 8, which promotes inclusive employment opportunities. It also referenced International Labour Organisation recommendations supporting employment quota systems for persons with disabilities.
Referring to President John Dramani Mahama’s recent launch of the Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities policy, the coalition said the President had publicly committed to implementing a 5% employment quota for persons with disabilities across public and private sector recruitment while incentivising private employers to hire qualified persons with disabilities. The coalition claimed the recent GES recruitment contradicted that commitment.
As part of its demands, the coalition called on President Mahama to remove the Minister for Education and the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, alleging that they failed to implement the President’s directive regarding the 5% quota. It also urged the GES to issue appointment letters immediately to the graduates whose names had been submitted during the recruitment process.
Beyond the education sector, the coalition appealed to the President to direct the Minister for Finance to grant financial clearance for qualified non-teaching graduates with disabilities to be employed into institutions including the Local Government Service, Civil Service, Ghana Revenue Authority and other public sector agencies.
The coalition warned that if the government does not provide official written commitments addressing its concerns within one week, members from all 16 regions of Ghana will begin what it described as an indefinite peaceful occupation of Jubilee House, the Ministry of Finance and the GES Headquarters in Accra.
The statement concluded with an appeal to media organisations to continue highlighting what the coalition described as the injustices facing unemployed graduates with disabilities and to provide platforms for public discussion on the matter. The statement was signed by the coalition’s convener, Gilbert Boateng Agyare.