Convener of the OneGhana Movement and Trustee of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey, Senyo Hosi, has criticised what he describes as the use of “protocol” to influence recruitment into the country’s security services.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, March 14, he called for an end to the practice, arguing that it undermines fairness and professionalism in the recruitment process.

Mr Hosi said the culture of influential individuals submitting names to secure positions for preferred candidates weakens confidence in state institutions.

“This protocol nonsense in security services must stop,” he stated, stressing that recruitment into such critical national institutions must be strictly based on merit rather than connections.

According to him, the issue is particularly troubling given the large number of young people competing for the limited positions available in the ongoing recruitment exercise.

He argued that allowing protocol entries in such circumstances only deepens public frustration and raises concerns about the integrity of the process.

His comments come after Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak announced that only 5,000 applicants would be recruited into the various security services in the first phase of the nationwide recruitment exercise.

The minister explained that although hundreds of thousands of applicants had progressed through various stages, the government could only absorb a limited number due to fiscal constraints.

Mr Hosi maintained that the situation makes it even more important for the recruitment process to be transparent and strictly merit-based.