The Minority in Parliament has described the structure of the ongoing recruitment exercise into the country’s security services as a “Ponzi scheme” designed to exploit unemployed youth, calling for greater transparency and accountability from the government.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, March 12, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, John Ntim Fordjour, argued that the exercise appears deliberately structured to attract large numbers of applicants despite the limited number of available positions.

“Without a doubt, the structure of this recruitment exercise is akin to a Ponzi scheme, criminally crafted to defraud over 500,000 innocent unemployed Ghanaians,” he said.

His remarks follow revelations by the Interior Minister, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, that nearly 500,000 young Ghanaians applied for recruitment into the security services, even though financial clearance exists for only about 5,000 positions.

The exercise has already seen hundreds of thousands of applicants disqualified after aptitude tests, triggering widespread frustration among job seekers across the country.

The Assin South MP noted that recruitment into the security services was widely promoted as a key campaign promise by the National Democratic Congress ahead of the 2024 elections, attracting massive interest from unemployed youth.

More than 506,000 applicants responded to the government’s call, applying to various agencies under the Interior Ministry, including the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and the Ghana Prisons Service.

“These young men and women, full of hope and patriotism, believed they were being offered a genuine opportunity to serve their country while securing a dignified livelihood,” he stated.

However, Rev. Fordjour said the announcement by the Interior Minister that only 5,000 recruits would be selected from the applicant pool had left many devastated and disillusioned.

“This revelation has left hundreds of thousands of hopeful applicants devastated, disillusioned, and feeling exploited,” he added.

“If the government intended to recruit only 5,000 personnel, as the Interior Minister disclosed, why lure over 506,000 unsuspecting young people into this process?” he questioned.

Rev. Fordjour also criticised the government’s decision to increase the recruitment age limit from 25 to 35 years, arguing that the move created the impression of wider opportunities. He described the change as misleading, insisting it contributed to the exceptionally high number of applicants.