Former Member of Parliament for Sekondi and former Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of misleading Ghanaian youth with promises of increased job opportunities, particularly in the security services.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, March 14, Mr Mercer said the government’s decision to expand the age eligibility for recruitment from 25 to 35 years significantly contributed to the surge in applicants, despite the limited number of available positions.

“I am not surprised people are calling this a Ponzi scheme because all this is self-induced,” he said. “Previously, the eligibility bracket was 18 to 25 — a seven-year bracket. Then you increased it by ten years, moving the age limit from 25 to 35. What did you expect would happen? The numbers would increase by that decision alone, when IMF conditions limit your recruitment space to 5,000.”

His remarks follow the announcement by the Interior Minister, Mubarak Mohammed-Muntaka, that only 5,000 applicants will be recruited into the various security services in the first phase of the ongoing nationwide exercise.

Addressing a press conference in Parliament, the minister explained that although hundreds of thousands of candidates had progressed through the selection stages, the government could only absorb a limited number due to fiscal constraints.

He added that the government remains committed to creating employment opportunities for young people across other sectors of the economy.