280,000 vs 500,000: Mahama clarifies conflicting security recruitment figures

President John Dramani Mahama has defended the 65 percent cut-off mark set for the recent security services recruitment, explaining that while it disqualified many applicants, the government intends to maintain a rolling database to give more people opportunities in the coming years.

Speaking during an engagement with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at the Jubilee House on Monday, March 30, 2026, Mahama clarified that contrary to media reports of 500,000 applicants, the actual figure was about 280,000.

According to him, the inflated number was due to multiple applications across different services such as immigration, police, fire, and prisons services.

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“The security recruitment mark was set at 65%. The aptitude test required 65%, and so it must have disqualified many people. What I said was that we must maintain the database of those who applied. It was not 500,000 as the media is saying; it was about 280,000. What happened was that people put multiple applications for different services.

“…Somebody applies for immigration, police, fire, and prisons. So, one person applied for four, and that accounted for the 500,000 figure. When you say 500,000 people applied and didn’t get in, it wasn’t 500,000, it was 280,000,” he explained.

The president further clarified that the 65 percent threshold inevitably excluded some candidates, but the government plans to recruit 10,000 personnel annually over four years, amounting to 40,000 in total.

“Now, the thing was set at 65%, and so it disqualified some people. But I’ve said that we’re employing 10,000 for this year, for 2025. Actually, this was supposed to be 2025 recruitment. So, what I have said is that we should maintain the database for those who applied.

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“If you took your 65% and you took some of them, there are still others there too who qualify. Just because they didn’t get 65% doesn’t mean they don’t qualify. So, let’s use it as a rolling database for 40,000. We’ll take 10,000 a year for four years, so 40,000 people can have the opportunity, and we probably will lower their qualification,” he said.

“One of the points I make is that the security services are interesting. It is not aptitude alone that is important. You need courage, you need other attributes beyond mental acuity. If you send your recruits to, for want of a better place, let me say Bawku — or Nkwanta, or Sampa, or anywhere there are flashpoints and there’s action and an attack, sometimes the 65% aptitude people will be the first to run,” President Mahama added.

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Watch his comments below:

280,000 applied for security,not 500,000 as media reported-President Mahama @JDMahama exposes Joynews and Citi FM for Inaccurate Figures

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— Popo🇰🇼🇬🇭 (@Popony_J) March 31, 2026