Mahama Summons Muntaka Over Security Recruitment Backlash | Discuss Ghana

On Saturday, March 14, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama officially summoned the Minister for the Interior, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, to the Jubilee House to address the growing public outcry over the ongoing security services recruitment process.

The news was first broken by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State for Communication, who indicated that the President demanded an immediate briefing on the "administrative bottlenecks" and public frustrations associated with the exercise.

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The Recruitment Crisis by the Numbers

The summons follows a week of intense scrutiny as the scale of the unemployment challenge became clear through official data released by the Ministry:

500,000 Applicants: Nearly half a million Ghanaians applied for positions across the Police, Immigration, Fire, and Prison services.

5,000 Vacancies: The government confirmed it can only absorb 5,000 new recruits due to current fiscal and logistical constraints.

105,000 Shortlisted: Over 100,000 candidates successfully moved to the medical examination stage, creating a massive disparity between qualified applicants and available slots.

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Key Points of Contention

The President’s intervention is reportedly focused on three primary areas of concern raised by the public and the Minority in Parliament:

AI Aptitude Tests: The use of an AI-driven aptitude test to filter hundreds of thousands of applicants has been criticized as "exclusionary." Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has called for the immediate suspension of the AI tests, labeling the process "criminally crafted."

The "Sale" of Forms: Critics have demanded a refund of an estimated GH₵113 million collected from unsuccessful applicants through the sale of digital recruitment forms—a practice the Interior Minister has defended as necessary to cover administrative and medical costs.

Insensitive Commentary: Remarks by NDC Chairman Asiedu Nketiah, who jokingly asked where 500,000 police officers would find enough "thieves" to arrest, sparked a significant social media backlash. The Chairman has since clarified that his comments were intended to highlight the "unprecedented" nature of the jobs crisis.

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Expected Outcomes of the Meeting

According to Felix Kwakye Ofosu, President Mahama is seeking a "human-centered" resolution to the impasse.

Quota System: The President is reportedly considering a directive to introduce a "quota-based" application system for future recruitments to prevent a repeat of this year's "bottleneck."

Sports Priority: The President has also reiterated his earlier directive that sportsmen and women who excel at the national level should be given priority during these enlistment cycles.

Transparency Review: A seven-member committee, led by Yaw Akrasi Sarpong, is already reviewing the fairness and integrity of the process and is expected to present its preliminary findings to the President following this summons.