MPs not given slots to recruit into security services — Majority

The majority of Parliament has dismissed as false and absurd claims that parliamentary candidates or Members of Parliament (MPs) have been assigned recruitment slots in the security services.

It said that those assertions were untrue and a desperate attempt by the Minority to foment popular dissatisfaction with the administration as the 2024 general election approaches. “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 stated.

Addressing the media in Parliament, 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 and 1,200 recruits annually shows a profound misunderstanding of the operational and financial frameworks of our security institutions,” she said.

Recruitment Allegations

On Monday, the Minority in Parliament accused the administration of running an alleged plan in which each New Patriotic Party parliamentary candidate earned 30 slots for recruitment in various security branches.

They interpreted such a move as an attempt to influence the results of the upcoming 2024 general election.

Malicious fabrications

The Deputy Majority Leader said that the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, made deliberate distortions of reality and malicious fabrications to undermine the government’s integrity.

“Such allegations serve only to provoke unwarranted tension and foster an environment of mistrust and political rivalry that our country does not need,” she stated. According to the MP for Asokwa, Interior Minister Henry Quartey has already defined the government’s recruitment plan, which focuses on providing competent Ghanaians a second shot after they had previously applied but were not picked.

That method, she added, was not only fair but also intelligent, as it avoided putting applicants under excessive financial strain by not reopening the recruiting process publicly. She implored the Minority to stop disseminating disinformation and to respect the intelligence of the Ghanaian people.

“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”.