More than 500 people have been removed from the country’s security services after a government review discovered irregularities in recruitment processes carried out before and after the December 2024 general election.
This was disclosed by the Minister of the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, during the maiden Government Accountability Series on Monday, July 15, 2025.
The Member of Parliament for Asawase explained that a special committee reviewed the records.
He said a special committee reviewed the records of about 5,200 new recruits across the various services and discovered that hundreds of them did not satisfy the entry requirement.
According to the interior minister, the affected security agencies included the Ghana Police Service, which saw about 320 disqualified; the Ghana Immigration Service where some 730 were removed; and the Narcotics Control Commission, which had about 50 affected.
“We were able to get out about 320 who were not supposed to be there. Some were in their forties, diabetic, and medically unfit, but they were picked. We had to explain to them that with their situation, they could not remain in the service,” he stated.
The minister said the vetting looked at academic qualifications, age, and medical fitness.
He also cited an instance a Member of Parliament intervened on behalf of a relative who had nearly completed training.
However, upon closer review, it was discovered that the individual had not passed a single subject in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE), which was a minimum requirement for entry.
“They called and said the person didn’t pass SSSCE, didn’t even record one subject. Once you don’t meet the basic qualification, you have to go,” he stated.
According to him, all affected officers were offered written explanations.
He further said the ministry is planning new recruitment guidelines that will allow defined technical and support roles.
“I know people who went to vocational school and became dressmakers. The services need them to sew uniforms,” he said. “But they must know they’re being recruited as artisans, not officers.”
Muntaka added that future job notices will clearly spell out roles and qualifications to avoid confusion and restore public trust in the process.
