The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has shot down calls by the Minority for a refund of GH¢113 million paid by disqualified applicants in the ongoing recruitment exercise into the country’s security services.
He argued that similar payments made by applicants who were disqualified during recruitment exercises under the administration of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo were not refunded.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Monday, March 16, 2026, he posited that the demand by the minority was unfounded.
In his view, the focus should rather be on addressing unemployment among the youth.
“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 stated.
He indicated that the government’s decision to allow about 500,000 applicants to compete for roughly 5,000 available positions was justified.
He said that the move was intended to ensure fairness and equal opportunity in the recruitment process.
“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 said.
The lawmaker further noted that the number of applicants underscores the need to assess the issue of unemployment in the country and underscores the urgent need for broader economic reforms to create more jobs for young people.
Responding, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin disagreed, stating that the justification by his colleague MP undermines the government’s reset agenda.
