Secret Police Recruitment: Akufo-Addo doing what is good for Ghana - Dery replies Agalga

Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery has denied allegations by the Minority in Parliament that the government is engaged in secret recruitment into the security services, stressing that President Akufo-Addo is doing that which is good for Ghana.

The Minority in a press statement on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, alleged that recruitments in the security services were kept secret so as to favour persons linked to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

But speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a training programme for Crime Officers in Accra covered by MyNewsGh.com, Mr Dery described the allegations by the Minority as untrue.

“Yesterday, there was a statement issued by the minority in respect of recruitments into the security services, which is a matter that I think I should respond to. Those allegations are baseless and untenable,” he declared.

He explained that the various agencies are doing their best possible to deal with the “unprecedented” numbers of applicants in the face of the very limited vacancies available.

“What has happened across board is that these recruitments have been unprecedented and up to now, the police have not even finished dealing with the 4,000( new recruits ) and other agencies are still struggling…All they[ the various agencies] is implementing their strategy to be able to cope with the unprecedented numbers. There are no secret recruitments anywhere,” he emphasised.

On the specific allegation of the 2018 recruitment list of police having been replaced, he was categorical that no such thing happened, explaining that the overwhelming number of applicants – over 85, 000 applicants – that had applied for only 2,000 places led to several complaints forcing him to direct that a second 2,000 places which was available after the first one be given to those who had already applied( the over 85,000 applicants).

Mr Dery concluded by reiterating his point that the President was not conducting any secret recruitments and that he was available to address the concerns of the Minority in Parliament.

“I want to assure you that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is not conducting any secret recruitments. Secondly, I want to make it clear that yesterday, I was in Parliament to answer questions from Honourable Agalga. So he can invite me to answer questions…I want to assure you that there are no secret recruitments and the President is doing what is good for Ghana," he stressed.