Open letter: Turning unsuccessful military applicants into assets, not security risk

Ghana recently witnessed an extraordinary show of patriotism—hundreds of thousands of young people responding to the call to serve through recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces.

Reports suggest that as many as 50,000 youth applied.

While only a fraction will be enlisted, we must confront an uncomfortable reality:

What happens to the rest?

These young men and women are not just applicants—they are motivated, able-bodied citizens who have demonstrated a willingness to serve their country.

Yet, once rejected, many return to unemployment, frustration, and uncertainty.

Left unaddressed, this situation risks creating a large pool of disillusioned youth, vulnerable to exploitation, crime, and political manipulation.

In a time where national security extends beyond borders into social stability, this is not a risk Ghana can afford to ignore.

Rather than viewing these unsuccessful applicants as a byproduct of recruitment, Ghana has an opportunity to transform them into a structured, disciplined workforce for national development.

I propose a bold but practical solution:

Establish a Military Sanitation and Environmental Corps

Imagine a Ghana where sanitation is no longer a recurring crisis but a sustained national strength.

A Sanitation and Environmental Corps under the Ghana Armed Forces can:

• Recruit a significant number of unsuccessful applicants
• Provide them with basic military training and discipline
• Deploy them across all regions to handle sanitation and environmental management
• Operate Sanitary Task Forces responsible for keeping communities clean and orderly
Critically, all national sanitation contracts can be routed through this structure, ensuring:
• Efficiency in execution
• Transparency in management
• Sustainable funding to pay and maintain this workforce

This is not simply a sanitation solution—it is a job creation and nation-building strategy.

Create a Military Engineering and Rural Infrastructure Unit

Beyond sanitation lies another urgent need: infrastructure.

Thousands of communities across Ghana still struggle with poor road networks and limited access.

At the same time, thousands of youth are ready to work.

A Military Engineering and Construction Unit can:

• Train these youth in construction and civil works
• Deploy them to build and maintain rural roads and infrastructure
• Execute government-awarded road projects under disciplined military supervision

By channelling national road contracts through this unit, Ghana can:

• Reduce project delays
• Cut inefficiencies
• Deliver durable infrastructure
• Build a skilled workforce for the future

Again, these are not simply policy suggestions—they are preventive national security strategies.

Engaging these youth will:

• Reduce the risk of social unrest and crime
• Prevent exploitation by criminal or political actors
• Provide dignity, purpose, and income
• Strengthen national development outcomes
Ignoring them, however, may come at a far greater cost.

Symbol

The Ghana Armed Forces has long been a symbol of discipline, structure, and national pride.

This moment presents an opportunity to extend that influence beyond traditional defence into nation-building at scale.

I respectfully call on the Ministry of Defence, the leadership of the Ghana Armed Forces, and policymakers to:

• Initiate urgent dialogue on this proposal
• Pilot these units on a regional basis
• Collaborate with relevant ministries and stakeholders
• Transform a looming challenge into a national success story

Ghana’s youth have already answered the call to serve.

The question now is:

Will we create pathways for them to do so—or leave them behind?

The choice we make today will shape not only their future, but the stability and progress of our nation.

Eric Ebo Acquah,
Concerned citizen.