President John Dramani Mahama has pushed back against allegations that Ghana’s security recruitment process is influenced by favoritism, stressing that recent reforms were introduced to promote fairness and reduce human interference.
Speaking to members of the Ghanaian community in Philadelphia, the President said the shift to an online recruitment system was deliberately designed to remove personal influence from the selection process and ensure that only qualified candidates progress.
He explained that the platform evaluates applicants based on preset requirements, including age and academic qualifications, with the system automatically filtering out those who do not meet the criteria. According to him, the approach ensures that decisions are not subject to human bias.
“The intent behind that is in good faith because there have been a lot of complaints that people get recruited on the basis of who they know,” he said.-
Mahama acknowledged concerns raised by the public, especially after a large number of applicants were unsuccessful despite paying to apply. He described the situation as challenging, noting that the volume of applications far exceeded available slots.
In response to the concerns, he revealed that government has reviewed the recruitment plan and taken steps to expand opportunities. The intake, initially limited, will now be increased over time to absorb more applicants into the security services.
He further indicated that applicants would not need to submit fresh applications, as authorities will rely on the existing database to continue the recruitment process. This, he said, is intended to prevent additional financial burden on young applicants.
The President maintained that the reforms are part of broader efforts to modernize public sector recruitment, enhance transparency, and ensure equal opportunity for all eligible Ghanaians.
