Ashaiman MP wants dismissed Police recruits recalled Source

Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Ernest Henry Norgbey, has called for the reinstatement of the about 200 police recruits who have been dismissed across the country, arguing they are in their current circumstance, a threat to the nation.

He said the dismissed recruits have learned details regarding intelligence of society and crime, hence knowledgeable in crime prevention, which he said they can use to cause crime within their society if not regulated.

“These sacked recruits pose a great danger to societies in Ghana. This fact cannot be disputed. Let us not forget that security education is highly classified…They have knowledge about crime prevention and therefore can cause crime if not regulated,” he told journalists Thursday.

A number of police recruits across the country have from the beginning of the year been dismissed on grounds of forged academic certificates, falsification of schools or the names and photos on their certificates. An ongoing forensic autdit of their qualification by the Police Administration revealed some males were found with female certificates and vice versa.



But Mr Norgbey has underscored the need for the Ghana Police to recall them to continue their training and give them the opportunity to upgrade their educational qualifications within a stipulated period or absorb them into para-police institutions licenced to use weapons and intelligence.

The MP cautioned against attempts to take the matter for granted or to downplay the effect of the dismissal of the recruits on the security of Ghana and even on the people themselves “This incident should not be taken for granted since it surely has the potential of degenerating into the formation of gangs, rebel actions and militancy,” he stated.

“Ghana as a nation is not immune to the horrifying accounts of kidnaps, carjacking, murders and above all terrorism happening in other parts of the world,” he added.

He said the affected recruits were exposed to security tactics, how to handle weapons, how to identify crimes and prevent them, a knowledge he said “can be used negatively to perpetrate all manner of intelligent crimes in our societies”.

“These young men may be tempted to make life unbearable for other Ghanaians by way of expressing their anger,” he observed. He claimed the dismissed recruits were not given any psychological counseling; something he contended “may result in suicide attempts, aggressions, low self esteem, stigmatisation and high crime wave in our societies”.

Meanwhile, the MP said the recruitment processes should be restructured to ensure that persons being recruited into the Police Service were cleared before they are admitted to begin their training.

“I suggest the entire process of recruitment into the Police Service with regard to admission before vetting of or confirming results and other related documents should be given a second thought,” he urged.