Minority demands Parliamentary probe and refunds for disqualified security service applicants

The Minority Caucus in Parliament is calling for an urgent bipartisan investigation into what it describes as a flawed and exploitative centralized recruitment process for the country’s security services. The Caucus is also demanding the government refund application fees to all disqualified applicants.

Speaking to the press on Thursday, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, expressed deep concern over the recruitment exercise, alleging a lack of transparency and fairness.

“The ongoing recruitment into our security services has raised serious questions about transparency, fairness, and the integrity of government decision-making,” Rev. Fordjour stated.

The Minority’s concerns stem from the government’s announcement that only 5,000 applicants would be recruited from a staggering pool of over 506,000 young Ghanaians who applied in 2025. According to Rev. Fordjour, these applicants had responded to a major campaign promise by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to provide recruitment opportunities, fostering hope for a dignified livelihood and a chance to serve the nation.

“The Interior Minister, at a press conference last Wednesday, indicated that only 5,000 applicants would be recruited from this enormous pool of applicants. This revelation has left hundreds of thousands of hopeful applicants devastated, disillusioned and feeling exploited,” he emphasized.

Rev. Fordjour highlighted a critical policy shift that he argues exacerbated the situation: the decision to raise the recruitment age limit to 35. This move, he said, significantly widened the applicant pool and raised expectations among a larger demographic of unemployed youth.

Central to the Minority’s grievance is the substantial financial burden placed on applicants. The Caucus calculated that with an application fee of GH¢220 per person, the government collected a total of GH¢111,320,000 from the over 506,000 applicants.

“These applicants should not be forced to bear the financial consequences of what appears to be a poorly managed, exploitative recruitment process,” Rev. Fordjour asserted, urging the government to authorize full refunds for all disqualified candidates.

The lawmaker further alleged that the internet-based aptitude test was riddled with technical challenges that unfairly disadvantaged applicants. He claimed that many competent candidates faced connectivity issues and were timed out within minutes, leading to mass disqualifications that did not reflect their true potential.

“Today, those same young people feel misled, exploited and abandoned,” he added.

The Minority Caucus is now urging the government to initiate a bipartisan parliamentary probe to review the centralized recruitment process and ensure that the integrity of national recruitment exercises is not compromised in the future.