The Minority in Parliament has called on the Ministry for the Interior to refund about GH¢113 million collected from applicants who were unsuccessful in the ongoing recruitment exercise into the country’s security services.
The demand follows a disclosure by Interior Minister Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka that more than 105,000 applicants have progressed to the medical stage of the process, although only 5,000 positions are ultimately available for enlistment.
The Minister also revealed that close to 500,000 individuals submitted applications across the various security agencies.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, 12 March 2026, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, criticised the recruitment exercise, accusing the government of taking advantage of job seekers and worsening the country’s unemployment challenges.
Rev. Fordjour alleged that authorities deliberately expanded the age limit for applicants from 25 to 35 years, creating the impression that more opportunities were available despite the limited number of vacancies.
“You promised them jobs without attaching clear conditions, and then you politically expanded the age limit from twenty-five to thirty-five, creating the impression that there was more room and access to opportunities,” he said.
According to him, the recruitment exercise attracted nearly half a million applicants, each of whom paid application fees, generating more than GH¢113 million.
He further alleged that several applicants were later disqualified due to aptitude tests affected by technological and internet-related challenges.
Describing the situation as unfair, Rev. Fordjour urged the government to refund the monies collected from unsuccessful applicants and ensure greater transparency in future recruitment processes to protect young people from financial exploitation.
The Minority also described the structure of the ongoing recruitment exercise into the country’s security services as a “Ponzi scheme” designed to exploit unemployed youth, calling for greater transparency and accountability from the government.
In his address, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, argued that the exercise appears deliberately structured to attract large numbers of applicants despite the limited number of available positions.
“Without a doubt, the structure of this recruitment exercise is akin to a Ponzi scheme, criminally crafted to defraud over 500,000 innocent unemployed Ghanaians,” he said.
His remarks follow revelations by the Interior Minister, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, that nearly 500,000 young Ghanaians applied for recruitment into the security services, even though financial clearance exists for only about 5,000 positions.
The exercise has already seen hundreds of thousands of applicants disqualified after aptitude tests, triggering widespread frustration among job seekers across the country.
The Assin South MP noted that recruitment into the security services was widely promoted by the National Democratic Congress as a key campaign promise ahead of the 2024 elections, attracting significant interest from unemployed youth.
More than 506,000 applicants responded to the government’s call, applying to various agencies under the Interior Ministry, including the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and the Ghana Prisons Service.
“These young men and women, full of hope and patriotism, believed they were being offered a genuine opportunity to serve their country while securing a dignified livelihood,” he stated.
However, Rev. Fordjour said the Interior Minister’s announcement that only 5,000 recruits would be selected from the applicant pool had left many devastated and disillusioned.
“This revelation has left hundreds of thousands of hopeful applicants devastated, disillusioned, and feeling exploited,” he added.
“If the government intended to recruit only 5,000 personnel, as the Interior Minister disclosed, why lure over 506,000 unsuspecting young people into this process?” he questioned.
Rev. Fordjour also criticised the government’s decision to increase the recruitment age limit from 25 to 35 years, arguing that the move created the impression of wider opportunities. He described the change as misleading, insisting it contributed to the exceptionally high number of applicants.
