President John Dramani Mahama has directed a significant expansion in the ongoing recruitment exercise into Ghana’s security services, increasing the number of personnel to be enlisted over the next four years.
The directive followed a high-level meeting convened by the President with the heads of the country’s security agencies, as well as the Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister for Government Communications and Spokesperson to the President, the Minister for the Interior, and the Acting Minister for Defence.
According to a statement issued by Mr. Kwakye Ofosu, the President was briefed on the progress of the ongoing recruitment process during the meeting.
Following the briefing, President Mahama instructed that the number of men and women to be recruited into the various security agencies should be increased from 20,000 to 40,000 over a four-year period.
“Following a briefing on the process, the President has directed that the number of men and women to be recruited to the various security agencies should be increased from twenty-thousand (20,000) to forty thousand (40,000) over a four-year period,” the statement said.
The President also stressed the importance of integrity in the recruitment process, directing the leadership of the security agencies to ensure that the exercise is conducted with transparency and fairness.
“The President has also directed the Heads of the Security Agencies to ensure transparency and fairness in the recruitment process,” the statement added.
The expanded recruitment is expected to strengthen the operational capacity of the country’s security services and enhance national security.
Officials who attended the meeting included the Chief of Staff, the Secretary to the President, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs, and the National Security Coordinator.
Also present were the heads of key security institutions including the Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service, the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, the Director-General of the Ghana National Fire Service, the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service, and the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission.
Government officials say the decision forms part of broader efforts by the administration to strengthen the country’s security architecture while creating employment opportunities for Ghanaian youth.
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
