A security analyst, Colonel Festus Aboagye (Retired), has urged the government to provide further clarification on President John Dramani Mahama’s proposal for regional recruitment into the country’s security services.
This follows President Mahama’s announcement during a durbar in the Western North Region on Tuesday, July 15, as part of his “Thank You Tour.” He indicated that the Ministry of Finance would soon issue financial clearance to facilitate regional recruitment into the police, military, fire service, immigration, and prison service.
In an interview with Citi News on Thursday, July 17, 2025, Colonel Aboagye acknowledged that while the initiative could help address regional imbalances in Ghana’s security services, its implementation must be transparent, fair, and constitutionally compliant.
“We should be reminded that in the recent past, certain politicians claimed they facilitated the recruitment of 4,000 or more individuals into the security services without explaining how their nominees were selected,” he said.
“There was no transparency or fairness, and unless you were known by a particular politician, your chances of getting recruited were slim.”
He also cautioned against adopting a rigid quota system that equally divides recruitment numbers among all 16 regions, noting that population disparities must be considered.
“The regions don’t have equal populations, so the quota system should not mean dividing the total recruitment figure by 16. That would be unfair. The distribution must be proportional,” he explained.
Colonel Aboagye emphasised the need for further engagement with the presidency or its staff to provide more clarity on the intent and design of the proposed recruitment policy.