The Minority in Parliament has called on the Ministry of the Interior to refund approximately GH¢113 million collected from applicants who were unsuccessful in the ongoing recruitment exercise into Ghana’s security services.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, March 12, led by the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Hon John Ntim Fordjour, strongly criticised the recruitment process, accusing the government of exploiting unemployed youth and worsening the country’s unemployment crisis.
According to him, the entire centralised recruitment exercise must be subjected to an independent bipartisan investigation before it continues.
“There must be an independent bipartisan probe into the entire centralised recruitment process for immediate and appropriate review before we continue,” he stated.
Hon Fordjour also demanded that the government refund the GH¢220 application fee paid by applicants who were disqualified, particularly those affected by technical challenges during the aptitude tests.
“We demand the government refund the application fees of GH¢220 per form to all applicants who were disqualified due to technological constraints and the problematic nature of the aptitude tests,” he said.
He noted that many applicants purchased multiple forms from different security agencies, such as the Police Service, the Immigration Service, and the Fire Service, thereby significantly increasing their financial burden.
“For the person who bought three forms to the Ghana Police Service, Immigration and the Ghana Fire Service, such a person has lost GH¢660,” he explained.
Beyond the application fees, Hon Fordjour said applicants also spent money travelling to recruitment centres and accessing internet cafés to complete parts of the process.
“All these costs have been put in place, and after all the trauma they endured, you turn around to tell them you have space for only 5,000 people,” he added.
He warned that the situation could pose a serious national security risk if the concerns of the affected youth are not addressed.
“This is a serious national security threat. They are in despair, and if something is not done about it, and over 400,000 youth hit the streets, what is going to happen? It will be chaos,” he cautioned.
The Minority also criticised comments allegedly made by the Interior Minister, suggesting that the new system helps screen out applicants with mental or drug-related challenges.
Hon Fordjour described the remark as unfair to personnel within the country’s security services.
“We on the Minority side cannot undermine our men and women in uniform. These are patriotic people devoted to the protection of our land,” he said.
He questioned how the aptitude tests could determine the mental fitness of hundreds of thousands of applicants.
“Which aspect of the aptitude test had psychometric and psychiatric assessment that disqualified 400,000 people deemed to be mentally unfit? That is most ridiculous,” he argued.
The Minority is therefore insisting that affected applicants must be refunded while a thorough investigation is conducted into the recruitment process.
“This is not partisan. Everybody who has been treated in such, who has been scammed in such a manner must be refunded,” Hon Fordjour stressed.