The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of orchestrating what it describes as the biggest recruitment scam in Ghana’s history, following revelations that only 5,000 applicants will be recruited from over 506,000 youth who applied for positions in the country’s security services.
Addressing a press conference in Parliament, the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, John Ntim Fordjour, said the recruitment process under the Ministry of the Interior lacked transparency and had unfairly exploited hundreds of thousands of unemployed Ghanaian youth.
According to him, the Minority is “deeply concerned and compelled by a strong sense of duty” over what they believe is a deliberately misleading recruitment exercise that has left many applicants devastated.
Over 500,000 Applicants, Only 5,000 Slots
Hon. Ntim Fordjour stated that the government widely publicised recruitment opportunities into the Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and the Ghana Prisons Service, agencies under the Ministry of the Interior (Ghana).
He explained that over 506,000 young Ghanaians responded to the call in 2025, believing they had a genuine opportunity to serve the country and secure employment.
However, he said the Ministry’s recent announcement that only 5,000 applicants would eventually be recruited has left hundreds of thousands of hopeful candidates disillusioned.
“The fundamental question that must be asked is this: if the government intended to recruit only 5,000 personnel, why lure over 506,000 unsuspecting young people into this costly and emotionally exhausting process?” he questioned.
Minority Calls Process a “Ponzi Scheme”
The Ranking Member described the recruitment exercise as “akin to a Ponzi scheme criminally crafted to defraud Ghanaian youth.”
He argued that the situation was worsened by the government’s decision to increase the recruitment age limit from 25 to 35 years, a move he believes expanded the pool of applicants and created the impression that the state had the financial clearance to recruit far more personnel.
According to him, this policy shift encouraged thousands of additional unemployed youth to apply, raising expectations that were ultimately dashed.
“This decision significantly expanded the applicant pool and heightened expectations among thousands of desperate but qualified young people seeking employment,” he said.
Minority Demands Probe and Refund
The Minority is now demanding an independent bipartisan investigation into the recruitment process.
Citing calls previously made by the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Hon. Ntim Fordjour outlined two immediate demands.
First, the Minority wants a full probe into the centralized recruitment exercise to ensure transparency and accountability.
Second, they are demanding that government refund the application fees paid by applicants.
According to the Minority, each applicant paid GH¢220 for the recruitment form, amounting to approximately GH¢113 million collected from applicants.
“Government must refund the GH¢113 million it has milked from unsuspecting Ghanaian youth,” he insisted.
Integrity of Security Recruitment
The Minority further warned that the integrity of recruitment into Ghana’s security services must not be compromised, stressing that the process should remain credible and fair to all applicants regardless of political affiliation.
They insisted Parliament must act swiftly to ensure accountability and restore confidence in public sector recruitment processes.
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