Colonel Kwadwo Damoah (Retired), who now represents Jaman South in Parliament, has pushed back against widely circulated claims suggesting that a “protocol list” influences recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). Drawing from his experience as the officer in charge of manpower planning between 2005 and 2009, he said such claims do not reflect the system he supervised.
In an interview on Rainbow Radio’s Frontline program, the former military officer noted that he has heard recent allegations describing reserved recruitment slots for ministers, MPs, and other influential individuals. He made it clear that he was not prepared to endorse those assertions, insisting he could only speak to the procedures he personally managed.
Recounting his time at the Directorate of Manpower Planning under former President John Agyekum Kufuor, Col. Damoah revealed that he consistently resisted attempts by individuals seeking preferential access to military recruitment. His refusal reportedly irritated some political actors at the time, eventually leading to him being summoned to explain his position directly to the then-President.
During the meeting, he laid out the rigorous steps involved in selecting applicants and emphasized the importance of fairness in the process. According to the legislator, President Kufuor directed him to follow the established recruitment system strictly and avoid entertaining any special requests. This, he said, reinforced his belief that political influence was not intended to play a part in the enlistment of personnel.
Col. Damoah further argued that even if anyone attempted to leverage unofficial influence, it would not automatically translate into access because applicants would still be required to pass each recruitment stage, from screening to medical examinations.
Responding to whether certain categories of public officials receive guaranteed slots, he indicated that he was unable to verify such claims, especially within the context of the current recruitment cycle. He stressed that during his tenure, no shortcuts or backdoor arrangements were permitted.
Reflecting on his encounter with former President Kufuor, he described the moment as one that strengthened his confidence in professional military standards. He maintained that the former President supported a transparent recruitment system free from political interference, and this experience remains his benchmark in assessing claims about the existence of so-called protocol lists.
