A group calling itself "Affected Teachers" is demanding the immediate arrest of the Director-General of Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Jacob Aaworb-Nang Maabobr Kor after 400 teachers were under investigation by the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) over fake certificates.

This, the GES said forms part of efforts to sanitise the country’s educational system to ensure that only qualified persons are employed to teach.

Read more: Teachers' arrears delayed due to fake documents - GES

According to the affected teachers, the GES Director cannot be innocent as the process of recruitment was under his watch.

A press statement signed and issued by its secretary, Owusu Baffoe Daniel, on Tuesday, February 23, 2016, said "We are calling for the immediate arrest of the Director General for recruiting teachers with fake certificates, and going ahead to confirm and upgrade them whilst he knows they are having fake certificates. Other than that, we are demanding an unqualified apology from him for fabricating lies in the name of ‘freedom of speech and expression’ to mislead the public and for defamation of the teaching profession."

See related: Teachers to lay down tools over unpaid arrears

The Ghana Education Service (GES) says the payment of the salary arrears of some category of teachers had delayed because some of them submitted fake documents and certificates.

According to Mr Jacob Aaworb-Nang Maabobr Kor, the Education Ministry identified the culprits and according to him, the number is likely to increase because more than 200 of them were identified in one district.

Addressing the press on Friday, February 19, 2016, Mr Kor said 14,575 input forms that were initially submitted by teachers for processing and payment, only 6,268 were found to be attached with genuine supporting documents.

Read more: GES to hand over teachers with fake certificates to BNI

He said out of the remaining 8,307 input forms, some were queried by the Audit Service on the grounds of non-inclusion of certificates, establishment warrants, assumption of duty letters and acceptance letters.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) said the admittance of recruitment of fake teachers is an indictment on the GES.

"Is the Director General is admitting that the Ghana Education Service has been recruiting teachers with fake certificates all these years?" asked the Vice President of NAGRAT, Angel Cabonu in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM.

See related:Don't lay down your tools - GES to teacher unions

He said, "if it is so then the Director General and the Ghana Education Service stand indicted because for a service to agree that it has recruited people who are not certificated and they are so many to the extent that when we are talking about 3,000 teachers owed arrears, Director General is saying after paying a paltry 600 then the rest are people with fake certificates."