Ghana Immigration Service recruitment does not amount to extortion – Lawyer

A legal practitioner, Lawyer Apraku Nketia has justified the recent recruitment made by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

Speaking with Nana KAS on Suncity 97.1 FM’s Morning Drive in Sunyani, Lawyer Apraku Nketia said the recruitment exercise would not amount to extortion.

“It wouldn’t amount to extortion because as a government institution, the whole recruitment is bound by certain ethics. One of the cardinal ethics is that the opportunity should be open to every Ghanaian that qualifies to be fixed there,” he asserted.

He indicated that they cannot look at people’s faces and pick them, so the only acceptable criteria are what the institution has laid for the recruitment process.

“Looking at how they opened the bid from the internet level makes it very open. Buy your this thing if you are interested. Go to next and fill in your particulars…then the cut point based on the criteria that has been served with the computer will accept everyone who qualifies under that criteria and that is what they did. It picked all the people who showed interest and qualified,” Lawyer Apraku Nketia explained.

He stated that the numbers that registered at the internet base at the initial application level far exceeded the 84,000 who are being screened now.

“But it is the computer clarification that gives the cut point which picked these people as an equal opportunity to everyone because they all qualify at that stage. It is a forces employment so apart from qualifying on paper, there is another criterion which is physical examination. For instance, Height is very important in this assessment. The screening right now will still use that assessment. If all the 84,000 applicants met the criteria of physique and other physical qualities, they would have picking all of them because they have to play some fairness,” he revealed.

The Legal Practitioner further stated that writing aptitude test will let them know the preparedness of the person to serve as a security officer.

When asked whether those who do not qualify should receive a refund, he said a policy must come first—and until then the institution has not faulted in any way.

He added that paying refunds would be difficult administratively because the institution has already expended money.

Lawyer Apraku Nketia was quick to add that the government has every right to do any social interventions--by absolving part of the administrative charges.

Out of the total of 84,637 persons applied to be employed by the service, across the country, only 500 of them will eventually be selected nationwide.