President John Dramani Mahama has directed a major expansion of recruitment into Ghana’s security services, doubling the intake target from 20,000 to 40,000 personnel over the next four years.
The directive was issued after the President convened a high-level meeting with the Heads of Security Agencies, alongside the Minister for the Interior and the Acting Minister for Defence, to review progress on the ongoing recruitment exercise.
According to officials present, the President received a comprehensive briefing on the process before instructing that more young men and women be enlisted across the various services to strengthen national security capacity.
“Following a briefing on the process, the President has directed that the number of men and women to be recruited… should be increased from twenty thousand to forty thousand over four years,” a source at the meeting confirmed.
Beyond the numerical increase, the President emphasised integrity in the selection process, stressing that recruitment must be conducted transparently and without favouritism.
“The Heads of the Security Agencies must ensure transparency and fairness in the recruitment process,” the directive stated.
The meeting brought together key figures at the heart of Ghana’s security architecture, including the Chief of Staff, the Secretary to the President, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs, and the National Security Coordinator.
Also in attendance were the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of Prisons, the Director-General of the Ghana National Fire Service, the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service, and the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission.
