IMANI Africa's Kofi Bentil Criticizes Ghana's Security Services Recruitment Process

Kofi Bentil, Vice President of IMANI Africa, has criticized the Ghanaian government's ongoing security services recruitment process, alleging it is intentionally structured to financially exploit applicants. Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile program on Saturday, March 14, Bentil stated, "Our leaders are creating something so they can loot from it. That is the system we have been running."

Interior Minister Mubarak Mohammed-Muntaka announced that only 5,000 applicants will be recruited into various security services in the first phase of the nationwide exercise. He explained that despite hundreds of thousands of candidates progressing through initial stages, fiscal constraints limit the government's ability to absorb more recruits.

The recruitment process involves screening applicants for physical fitness and documentation before proceeding to aptitude tests and medical examinations. After the documentation stage, fewer than 30,000 candidates were disqualified, leaving approximately 400,000 eligible for the next stages. To manage the large number, a 65 percent pass mark was set for the aptitude tests, significantly reducing the pool. Ultimately, only 5,000 positions are available in this first phase. The minister urged applicants to remain patient while the government works to create jobs across multiple sectors.