Majority rejects call to refund GH¢113m security services recruitment fees

The Majority in Ghana’s Parliament has dismissed calls by the Minority to refund GH¢113 million reportedly paid by applicants who were later disqualified in the ongoing recruitment into the country’s security services.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Monday, March 16, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga argued that similar fees paid by unsuccessful applicants during recruitment exercises under the previous administration were also not refunded. He therefore described the Minority’s demand as misplaced.

According to Ayariga, Parliament should focus more on addressing unemployment and strengthening the economy rather than debating refunds for applicants.

“You cannot be discussing refunds now. Let us discuss how we can fix the economy so that jobs can be created for these young people. How can the money be refunded? The young ones are looking for jobs, not the money,” he said.

Ayariga also defended the government’s decision to allow approximately 500,000 applicants to compete for about 5,000 available positions, explaining that the approach was intended to ensure fairness and provide equal opportunity to all interested candidates.

He stressed that the government could have chosen to directly appoint party loyalists, but opted instead to open the process to a wider pool of applicants.

“What we are doing is giving every young person a fair opportunity. We could have simply gone and selected our foot soldiers and given them the jobs the same way the NPP did, but we are not doing that,” he stated.

The Majority Leader further noted that the overwhelming number of applicants reflects the country’s high unemployment rate and highlights the need for sustained job creation, particularly through the growth of the private sector.

However, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin disagreed with the Majority’s position, arguing that their response undermines the government’s “reset” agenda. He maintained that the concerns raised by the Minority about the recruitment process remain unresolved.