Security recruitment expansion 'not well thought-through' – Nitiwul

A former Minister of Defense, Dominic Nitiwul, has expressed concerns over the government’s recent decision to expand recruitment in the country’s security services, describing the move as “not well thought through.”

According to Nitiwul, increasing recruitment is a positive step toward strengthening the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service, but he cautioned the government to hasten slowly considering the financial, logistical, and operational arrangements required to accommodate the additional personnel.

During an interview with Joy FM’s Midday News on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, he said the announcement of increased recruitment numbers was welcomed but raised critical questions about whether the government is ready to implement it effectively.

“Yesterday, we got a release from government saying they have increased the numbers for recruitment. We welcome it and think it’s a good start, but it is not well thought through,” he stated.

He further explained that recruitment in the security services depends on funds released by the Ministry of Finance, which enable payment of salaries and provision of essentials such as accommodation, uniforms, and logistics.

Minority calls for immediate suspension of security recruitment exercise

According to him, doubling recruitment without securing these resources could create challenges for the agencies involved.

“For soldiers, for example, you must find out whether there is accommodation for them, adequate housing, uniforms, and all logistics. Did you budget for this?” he asked.

While acknowledging the need to build personnel numbers in the security sector and provide opportunities for young people, the Minority warned that the government’s preparedness remains unclear.

“It’s good for our young people to be able to get into the system, but whether the government itself is ready or they are just playing politics with it is my worry,” he added.

The security expansion directive which follows revelations by the interior minister that only 5,000 applicants will be considered for the current phase of the recruitment, with regards to the 2025 intake.

Following his revelation, the Ministry has since received public criticism for selling over 500,000 vouchers despite knowing it does not have the capacity to employ more people.

SO/VPO

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