The Member of Parliament for Keta says his committee “overlooked” the ¢100.00 charged by the Immigration Service for its 2016 recruitment exercise because it was not an issue then.

With the benefit of hindsight, however, Mr Richard Quarshigah says the ¢50.00 charged for the same purpose in 2018 is an act of exploitation by the Service and must be interrogated.

He was commenting on the raging controversy involving the recruitment process into the Ghana Immigration Service.

Over 80,000 unemployed youths applied for a place in the Ghana Immigration Service but only 500 people will be considered for employment.

The Minority in Parliament had accused the service of exploiting the situation of unemployed youth by selling more vouchers and making more money. 

MP for Keta Richard Quarshigah demanded why the Service was taking money from the vulnerable youth who are ready to provide service to the nation.

According to him, the Finance Ministry had already budgeted for the recruitment by the Immigration Service and there was no need to charge any amount of the youths.

But the Service in a stated rebutted the Minority claims.

In a 14-point statement, the Service said the ¢50.00 was to cater for administrative expenses and to pay for the services of banks, software developers, and several other institutions contracted to provide services for a fair and transparent recruitment exercise.

The service said in 2016 it charged ¢100.00 for the same purpose but the new government instructed that the amount be reduced to 50.00.

Joy News’ Emefa Apawu in an interview with Richard Quarshigah sought to find out why the Parliamentary committee on Defence did not find anything wrong with the 100.00 paid in 2016 but appears to find everything wrong with the 50.00 paid in 2018.

The MP said: “At the time these issues didn’t come to the fore. These issues are now in the fore and there is need for us to interrogate them..."

“I am very much aware [100.00 was charged in 2016] a reason why I stated it. But what I am saying is that on hindsight there are issues that could be overlooked but this time around it has come to the fore very strongly and therefore there is the need for us to pursue it in order to ensure that it does not recur.”

He said he is likely to file a motion on the floor to drag the sector minister to answer why the unemployed youths are being exploited.