MPs not given slots to recruit into security services — Majority

The Majority in Parliament has described as baseless and preposterous allegations that parliamentary candidates or Members of Parliament (MPs) have been allocated recruitment slots into the security services. 

It said those claims were false and a desperate attempt by the Minority to incite public disfavour against the government as the 2024 general election drew closer. “The Minority’s assertion that 276 NPP parliamentary candidates, including 138 sitting MPs, have each been given 30 recruitment slots is mathematically and administratively ludicrous,” it said.

Addressing the media in Parliament today, the Deputy Majority Leader, Patricia  Appiagyei, said, “To suggest that 8,250 recruits could be absorbed into our security forces in a system that traditionally accommodates between 1,000 to 1,200 recruits annually shows a profound misunderstanding of the operational and financial frameworks of our security institutions,” she said. 

Allegations

On Monday, the Minority in Parliament accused the government of an alleged scheme where each New Patriotic Party parliamentary candidate purportedly received 30 slots for enlistment into various security branches.

They considered such a move as an attempt to influence the outcomes of the forthcoming 2024 general election.

Malicious fabrications

The Deputy Majority Leader said the claims by the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, were a deliberate distortion of reality and a malicious fabrication aimed at undermining the integrity of the government.

“Such allegations serve only to provoke unwarranted tension and foster an environment of mistrust and political rivalry that our country does not need,” she said. The MP for Asokwa said the Interior Minister, Henry Quartey, had already outlined the government’s recruitment strategy which focused on giving a second chance to qualified Ghanaians who previously applied but were not selected.

That approach, she said, was not only fair but also thoughtful, avoiding unnecessary financial burdens on applicants by not reopening the recruitment process widely. She, therefore, urged the Minority to refrain from spreading misinformation and to respect the intelligence of the Ghanaian public.

“Such tactics are beneath the dignity of our democratic processes and could potentially endanger the peace and security of our nation, “As the governing party, we remain committed to fairness, transparency and the rule of law.

“We will not be swayed by these groundless accusations but will continue to work diligently to ensure the safety and security of all Ghanaians,” she said. Calling on all political parties and media houses to demand accuracy and to contribute responsibly to the political discourse, she said, “Let us move forward not with fear but with facts and faith in our democratic institutions”.