The nationwide recruitment exercise for the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and Ghana Immigration Service will now begin on Monday, November 17.

The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, announced on Friday, November 14. The new date follows a review in the wake of the tragic El‑Wak Stadium stampede during the military recruitment process.

“The application process will begin on Monday, November 17. It will be published in the national dailies, on the Ministry and its agencies’ websites, and on social media platforms,” Mr Mubarak said.

He revealed that this year’s recruitment introduces a major shift toward a fully digital, paperless process, aimed at modernising operations across the Ministry of Interior.

“The Ministry of Interior is working to make sure that everything that we do in the Ministry moves from paper to paperless. In line with that, at the comfort of your home—probably for the first time—you can start the process and finish with your mobile phone.”

Applicants will be able to purchase vouchers and complete applications via a USSD short code, with details to be published on Sunday ahead of the Monday start.

“The USSD dial code will be published hopefully by Sunday because we don’t want a rush. So we will publish that on Sunday, just before Monday. The details of the web address and the USSD short code will be in the publication on Sunday.”

The Minister described the new platform as a centralised e‑recruitment portal designed to harmonise and standardise recruitment procedures across all security agencies.

“The system we are developing is a robust, centralised e‑recruitment portal and an initiative implemented to ensure harmonisation and standardisation of the conduct of the recruitment across various agencies under the Ministry of Interior.”

Candidates will now be able to track every stage of the recruitment process themselves.

“This process will enable every applicant to monitor and follow through the process right from the beginning till you are admitted into the training school… You can monitor the progress of your application—when you will be called for a particular exercise, if it is a screening, you will know through your phone. When you are to appear for medicals, you will be told if you qualify for the next stage. All those things you can monitor from your phone.”

Acknowledging disparities in network coverage, Mr Mubarak said alternative channels are available for voucher acquisition, including Ghana Commercial Bank and Ghana Post branches nationwide.

“Because of that, we have opened another window where you can get the voucher through any Ghana Commercial Bank branch nationwide and Ghana Post branches across the country.”

He encouraged applicants in areas with good connectivity to use the digital route for a seamless experience.

“If you are in an area where your network is good and you have your mobile money account—or even the account of any person—you can easily do this seamlessly on your phone without having to walk even to your veranda.”

The Minister assured the public that the portal is robust and capable of handling large volumes of applications efficiently and reiterated that additional safety measures will be in place to prevent any recurrence of incidents like the El‑Wak stampede.

The tragic stampede at El‑Wak affected 28 applicants, leaving six dead and 12 in critical condition, while five others remain in intensive care. A separate recruitment exercise in Kumasi also recorded five injuries.