Former Interior Minister and former Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, has explained the complexities behind the security services recruitment exercise, stressing that the process cannot be labelled as unfair without understanding the full context.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Quartey said, “There is nothing like unfairness here, and I am not doing politics with it. You ask a person to pick a form through the banks, but remember the bank is not a charity. They go through processes, and the banks deduct their fees accordingly.”
He also noted that the recruitment agencies follow structured procedures and incur their own costs.
“The agencies also go through processes for recruitment, and they also contribute financially,” he said.
Mr. Quartey criticised the lack of direct funding to the Interior Ministry for recruitment, explaining that until the Finance Ministry provides financial clearance, ordinary Ghanaians end up paying for certain parts of the process.
“Until finance is able to give money for recruitment, the average Ghanaian pays for the processes by applying for forms. Then they also go and pay medical fees, which can cost over 1,000 cedis,” he added.
He disclosed the challenge of handling a large pool of applicants.
“Assuming over 100,000 people pay the huge medical fees and then only 5,000 are selected, what do you expect will happen?” he asked.
When asked whether it is fair for applicants to pay large sums and still be disqualified, Mr. Quartey drew on his own experience.
“During my time, I was at the centre of it. Those who had already paid and were not taken should still be considered. In any case, the process was advertised, and everyone knew the requirements.”
Mr. Quartey’s comments follow revelations by Interior Minister Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka that over 105,000 applicants have progressed to the medical screening stage. Nearly 500,000 people applied, while the final recruitment target for the internal security agencies remains about 5,000 personnel.
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