Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has insisted that increasing recruitment numbers into Ghana’s security services will not address the fundamental concerns surrounding the ongoing exercise.
He urged Parliament to compel the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak to appear before the House to provide clarity.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Monday, March 16, the Effutu MP said the Minority is dissatisfied with explanations offered so far regarding the recruitment process, particularly after revelations that more than 500,000 recruitment vouchers were sold despite limited employment capacity.
According to him, a statement by the Minister for Government Communication indicating an increase in annual recruitment figures does not resolve the underlying issues being raised by the public and lawmakers.
“The recruitment exercise—we’ve seen a statement issued by the Minister for Government Communication talking about an increase in the number from 5,000 to 10,000 every year. Mr. Speaker, that does not address the core concerns,” he stated.
“Chief Whip—you gave your word last week that our respected colleague, the Minister for the Interior, will come and brief this House,” he added.
The Minority Leader cautioned against a situation where major policy decisions are communicated outside Parliament without first informing lawmakers, drawing parallels with previous controversies.
“Mr. Speaker, we don’t want this to be treated the way they treated the cocoa haircut, where the Finance Minister announced a haircut at his ministry. The people’s representatives must be properly briefed, especially when this recruitment has to do with our own constituents,” he stressed.
His comments follow a directive from President John Dramani Mahama to significantly expand recruitment into the country’s security services.
According to a statement issued by the presidency on Monday, March 16, the President met with security chiefs, the Minister for the Interior, and the Acting Minister for Defence to review the ongoing recruitment process across the various security agencies.
After receiving a briefing on the exercise, President Mahama directed that recruitment numbers be increased substantially.
The statement noted that the number of personnel to be recruited into the security services will rise from 20,000 to 40,000 over a four-year period.
The directive comes in the wake of disclosures by the Interior Minister that only 5,000 applicants would be considered for the current phase of recruitment for the 2025 intake, sparking widespread criticism.
The Interior Ministry has faced backlash after it emerged that over 500,000 recruitment vouchers were sold, raising questions about transparency and fairness in the process.
Critics argue that selling such a high number of vouchers despite limited recruitment slots has created unrealistic expectations among thousands of young Ghanaians seeking employment in the security services.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com
