President Mahama sends security recruitment fees issue to Cabinet for review
President John Dramani Mahama has indicated that applicants who were unsuccessful in the recent security services recruitment exercise could be reconsidered under a proposed four-year rolling plan, while the issue of application fees will be referred to Cabinet for review.
He made the remarks during a Presidential Dialogue with Civil Society Organisations in Accra on March 30, 2026. The meeting brought together representatives from 162 civil society groups.
Responding to concerns raised at the forum, President Mahama said the number of unique applicants stood at about 280,000.
He explained that the widely cited figure of nearly 500,000, earlier confirmed by the Interior Minister, included multiple applications submitted by individuals across the various security services.
The President said the government intends to retain the database of applicants and use it to recruit about 10,000 people annually over a four-year period, bringing the total number of potential recruits to 40,000.
“Just because they did not get 65 per cent does not mean that they do not qualify,” he said. “Let us use it as a rolling database for 40,000, taking 10,000 per year for four years.”
He also indicated that the 65 per cent pass mark for the aptitude test could be reviewed to accommodate other qualities required for security work.
“It is not aptitude alone that is important. You need courage. You need other attributes apart from mental ability,” he said.
President Mahama noted that some candidates who performed well in written tests struggled under operational conditions, while others with lower scores demonstrated greater resilience in the field.
On the issue of application fees, he acknowledged concerns about the financial burden on applicants, particularly the unemployed, describing the experience as distressing for those who paid but were unsuccessful.
“I will not make any pronouncements on that, but it is something that we will bring to Cabinet for a decision,” he said.
The remarks form part of the government’s response to public concerns over the recruitment process. The Majority in Parliament had earlier rejected calls by the Minority for a refund of fees paid by disqualified applicants.
The recruitment exercise has attracted criticism from sections of the public and political actors, with renewed calls for reforms to improve transparency and fairness.
The dialogue is part of a broader series of engagements under the government’s Resetting Ghana Tour, which is expected to cover all 16 regions.
