The Minority in Parliament has urged relevant stakeholders to intervene in the alleged biased recruitment into the security services by the Ministry of Interior.
This follows an advertisement published in the Ghanaian Times and Daily Graphic newspapers on August 7, 2024, recruiting personnel into the security services.
The Minority expressed surprise at the publication, citing a pending petition with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate their complaint of unequal and unfair recruitment practices.
They claim that the advertisement is an attempt to influence CHRAJ’s investigation and mislead Ghanaians.
In a statement signed by James Agalga, Member of Parliament for Builsa North and Ranking Member on the Committee on Defence and Interior, the Minority called on stakeholders, including the National Peace Council, Christian Council of Ghana, Office of the National Chief Imam, development partners, civil society organisations, and all peace-loving individuals to speak out against this alleged injustice.
The Minority believes that the recruitment process lacks transparency and aims to create unequal access for certain individuals under the guise of a “so-called backlog.”
They emphasise the need for balanced structuring in all security services, ensuring equal access and opportunity for all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, or creed.
The Minority clarifies that they are not opposed to recruiting youth into the security services but seek to guarantee equal opportunities for all.
They urge stakeholders to intervene to prevent further injustice and ensure a fair recruitment process.
Read the Minority’s statement below
PRESS STATEMENT
MINORITY IN PARLIAMENT RESPONDS TO ADVERTISEMENT FOR RECRUITMENT INTO THE SECURITY SERVICES UNDER THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR
1. The NDC Minority in Parliament has taken note of publications in the 7th August, 2024 edition of the Ghanaian Times and Daily Graphic newspapers, advertising recruitments into the security services under the Ministry of the Interior
2. These advertisements come on the back of a recent petition by the Minority to the Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate our complaint of unequal and unfair recruitment of personnel into the security services based on a purported backlog.
3. Whilst CHRAJ is seized with the Minority’s petition, it came to us as a surprise that the security services under the Ministry of the Interior namely; the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Prisons Service and the Ghana Immigration Service have all placed open advertisements which restrict the 2024 recruitment process to only persons who applied in 2021, at a time the legality of recruiting from a purported backlog is the subject of a petition before CHRAJ.
4. These advertisements are an attempt to stampede CHRAJ in its investigations and to mislead Ghanaians into believing that the right thing is finally being done. This development has confirmed our long-held position that the reason why the recruitment was being shrouded in opacity is to create an unequal access to some people in the name of a so-called backlog, when no such backlog exists on the record.
5. The NDC Minority is of the firm belief that the recalcitrant behaviour of the Akufo Addo/Bawumia NPP government on its quest to recruit personnel from a non-existent backlog is in furtherance of their ploy to recruit party vigilantes and goons into the security services purposely to help them achieve a favourable outcome in the upcoming 2024 general elections.
6. Ghanaians have not forgotten how the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government unleashed party vigilante and goons clothed in uniform on innocent civilians during the 2020 general elections. Eight (8) innocent Ghanaians were killed in the process, including the dastardly shootings at Techiman South.
7. The peace and security of our dear country and the stability of our democracy will once again be in serious jeopardy should this government be allowed to have its way through this ongoing restricted recruitment into the security services.
JAMES AGALGA, MP
MEMBER, BUILSA NORTH AND RANKING MEMBER, COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE AND INTERIOR
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