Dr Ishmael Norman, President of the Institute for Security, Disaster and Emergency Studies, has defended the government’s approach to security recruitment, arguing that hiring must reflect the country’s financial capacity.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, he praised the Interior Minister for prioritising merit in the selection process and for adopting a phased recruitment model that considers the cost implications of employing new personnel.

“I think we need to applaud the minister of interior for being a moral politician and a moral leader trying to do the selection based upon meritocracy,” he said.

Dr Norman said the approach marks a significant shift in how recruitment into the security services is handled in Ghana.

“This, for me, is the first time I’m seeing this kind of thing happen in Ghana, and I am totally immersed with admiration for them,” he stated.

He acknowledged that recruitment into the security services is often a complex and sensitive exercise. According to him, the decisions involved are difficult but necessary to ensure fairness and sustainability.

“It’s a very difficult choice-making and decision-making process,” he said.

Dr Norman argued that the phased recruitment strategy allows the government to balance employment opportunities with the financial realities of maintaining the security services.

“But I believe that the minister and the committee doing the selection are still going about it the right way, so that if they do it in phases, then they are able to accommodate more people, considering the budget, the financial implications involved in every single person that you hire,” he explained.

He emphasised that each new recruit carries long-term financial obligations for the state, including salaries, training, and logistics. In his view, gradual hiring helps manage these costs while still creating opportunities for qualified applicants.

“And so I think, without going into too much detail, again, the minister is on the right path,” he added.

Dr. Norman also suggested that merit-based recruitment often clashes with entrenched expectations within the political system and broader society.

“Meritocracy is not what Ghanaians want,” he argued.

He said many people across the political divide prefer systems driven by patronage and political loyalty rather than merit.

“Ghanaians, whether they are NDP or NDC, they want, you know, identity politics, no patrimonialism. You push people in because your party is in power, that’s what they want,” he said.

According to him, breaking away from that pattern is difficult because it challenges long-standing political behaviour and expectations.

“It’s very, very difficult to go against the grain of the moral behaviour of the society,” he noted.

Despite the challenges, Dr Norman insisted the government should maintain its current course and uphold merit-based recruitment in the security services.

“But they are on the right path. They should do the right thing,” he said.

He concluded that sticking to a principled approach would ultimately vindicate the policy direction.

“And in the end, victory will again be on the part of the NDC,” he added.