The Minority in Parliament is calling for transparency amid reports of a secret recruitment process into the country’s security services, which allegedly plans to enlist 11,000 personnel from a backlog of applicants accumulated over the years.
Addressing the media, James Agalga, the Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee, challenged these claims by citing a recent press release from the Ghana Police Service, which denied the existence of any recruitment backlog.
The Builsa North MP emphasized that the police had completed the recruitment of all applicants from the 2021-2022 exercise, asserting that any new recruitment efforts must involve fresh applications with clearly defined eligibility criteria.
Agalga stated, “The entire recruitment process for the 2021 to 2022 recruitment period has concluded. The concept of a backlog implies an incomplete recruitment process with outstanding applicants, but the police have confirmed that all applicants have been processed.”
He added that those not shortlisted and issued admission letters had failed to meet the eligibility criteria, thus concluding the 2021-2022 recruitment exercise. Agalga underscored the need for transparency and fairness in the recruitment process, advocating for advertisements that outline eligibility requirements.
“This is not the first time the security services under the Ministry of the Interior will recruit. During the NDC era, recruitments were preceded by advertisements detailing the eligibility criteria,” he noted.
He urged the Interior Ministry to adhere to the principles of fairness and transparency by publicly advertising the recruitment process.
The Minority in Parliament has also threatened to summon Interior Minister Henry Quartey to Parliament to explain the alleged clandestine recruitment process. “He [Interior Minister] will have to appear before the House to explain why the recruitment process under his watch is shrouded in secrecy,” Agalga stated.
