A security policy expert, Anthony Acquaye, has called out the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for allegedly recruiting overage and unqualified foot soldiers into the security services through the back door without using the online application system.

According to him, the recruitment of these foot soldiers into the army and other security agencies contradicts the government's claim of championing digitalization and fighting corruption, as the recruitment process has been done manually and fraudulently.

This, he stated, undermines the guiding principles of the military and other security agencies' traditional recruitment profiles.

Acquaye, in a statement on February 11, 2024, stated that NPP's recruitment of its foot soldiers also demoralises the genuine applicants who have met the requirements and used the online application system but have not been called since 2017.

“It is sad, so to say, that a government that tilts itself as championing digitalisation to mitigate corruption ends up fraudulently facilitating the recruitment processes of its foot soldiers manually without using the Ghana Armed Forces modern online applicant enlistment or recruitment tracking system.

“A system well programmed to instantly disqualify applicants who are above the recruitment requirements age and have a poor academic record. Training instructors have no option but to lower the traditional standards of recruit training because personnels who were bused to various training centres were not of the right age to complete basic physical training and combating tests, with some being brought to the training ground two months to pass out inside of the typical six months, especially from 2021 to 2023, in the name of clearing backlogs. A justification rational given by the Deputy Minister for Interior, Hon. Naana Yusif, during the Public Accounts Committee sitting on February 2, 2024, is not just condemnable but shameful, scandalous, and dangerous to the defence, security and development of the state,” he stated.

The experts further cited a video that went viral on social media, where the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, was seen distributing forms and instructing his constituents to fill them out and call him if they were not shortlisted.

He said that this was a clear case of abuse of power and exploitation of the people by the minister.

“One among many of those shameful and scandalous attitudes was captured in a video that had gone viral on social media with the Minister for Defence, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul is seen sharing forms and instructing his constituents to fill them and going ahead to assure them to call him in case they were not short- listed.

“Genuinely, applicants who have all the requirements needed by the service and use the online application system without knowing anyone in government have not been called since 2017 to date,” he added.

“... Meanwhile, just last week, the country witnessed the passing out of a female private soldier, including many others whose age per observation were beyond the stipulated age requirement limits from 18 years old to 26 years old as advertised in Ghanaian Times by the Ghana Armed Forces in 2021.”

He called on the parliament to enact a law to govern the age limits and other criteria for enlisting or recruiting into the security services, to safeguard the country.

Below is the full statement from Anthony Acquaye

IT IS SHAMEFUL AND SCANDALOUS ON HOW THE RULING PARTY NPP HAS KILLED GHANA'S MILITARY AND OTHER SECURITY AGENCIES TRADITIONAL RECRUITMENT PROFILE ~ Security Policy Expect
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Inasmuch as it is on record that, there is age waiver in recruiting of potential soldiers who have critical skills or experience in fields such as medical and legal professionals, plus religious actors who are mostly in short supply in the Armed Forces and other security agencies even across the globe.

It is imperative to state unequivocally that the constant undermining of the guiding principles of Ghana's military and other security agencies traditional recruitment profile by the ruling party NPP through, back door short - listed of overage party foot soldiers with no prove of proper academic record is a red flag issue and we must be worried us a country.

It is sad, so to say, a government that tilts itself as championing digitalisation to mitigate corruption ends up fraudulently facilitating recruitment process of its foot soldiers manually without using the Ghana Armed Forces modern online applicants enlistment or recruitment tracking system. A system well programmed to instantly disqualify applicants who are above the recruitment requirements age and with poor academic record. Training instructors had no option than to lower the traditional standards of recruit training because personnels who were bused to various training centres were not with the right age to complete basic physical training and combating test, with some being brought to the training ground two months to pass-out inside of the typical six months especially from 2021 to 2023 in the name of clearing backlogs, a justification rational given by the Deputy Minister for Interior, Hon Naana Yusif, during the Public Accounts Committee sitting on 2nd February, 2024, is not just condemnable but, shameful, scandalous and dangerous to the defence, security and development of the state.

One among many of those shameful and scandalous attitudes was captured in a video that had gone viral on social media with the Minister for Defence, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul is seen sharing forms and instructing his constituents to fill them and going ahead to assure them to call him in case they were not short- listed. The question is, since when did the Ghana Armed Forces return to manual enlistment and recruitment of applicants? If not, intent to exploit the structural vulnerabilities and gullibility of his constituents in exchange for votes and, in effect, deny others who may be qualified to enter the service. Officers in the Police service who have acquired higher academic certificates in addition to their years of experience who need to be promoted, and to further get access to the Police College are sidelined, and gradually demoralising their spirits with no hope of achieving their senior ranks career ambition in the service, where is the prudency of enlisting more graduates to take over senior rank position with no experience without also considering promoting officers who equally have the same degree certificate or post-graduate certificate with years of experience.

Objectively, there is no wrong encouraging your constituents to apply for enlistment or recruitment into the security services, if they qualify under the institutions' established guiding principles of enlistment or recruitment but to use your position as the Minister of Defence to facilitate the recruitment of unqualified people into the services seriously dwells the credibility and reputation of the services.

Genuinely, applicants who have all the requirements needed by the service and use the online application system without knowing anyone in government have not been called since 2017 to date. Meanwhile, just last week, the country witnessed the passing out of a female private soldier, including many others whose age per observation were beyond the stipulated age requirement limits from 18 years old to 26 years old as advertised in Ghanaian Times by the Ghana Armed Forces in 2021.

This unfortunate development indicates how the ruling party NPP has explored the opportunity to recruit unqualify NPP foot soldiers dubiously into the security agencies to escape the socio-economic deprivation created without critically looking at the gravest ramifications of their actions on the military's established strategic recruitment goal, including other security architecture and the defence of the state against external aggression.

Agreeably, one may have a point to say that in other jurisdictions, the age limits in recruiting potential soldiers defers among the branches, such as the Army, Navy and Air Force in the Armed Forces, unfortunately, in the case of Ghana the age limits for recruiting cut cross all the branches with no differences, so there is no way that agreement can be held.

In fact, it will interest you to know that, among the three branches in the Armed Forces, not only in Ghana Armed Forces, but across the globe the Army performs the highest active duty, reserve, and guard service, than all the rest of the branches. Therefore, age limits should be of priority in recruiting potential soldiers to maintain tactical performance capabilities throughout their career. Age has proven to be one of the key factors that loses the physical readiness of soldiers, aside from the operational demands associated with increasing years of service. This, as a result, makes it difficult for adult recruiters to recover quickly, anytime they get injured, and begin to fail basic combating tests, due to loss in strength. In the shoulder, knee, ankle, and torso.

Assuming this adult lady who had passed out as a private soldier, including many others, deliberately reduced their real age and sworn an affidavit to enter the military with their new age. For instance, if she was 36 years old and reduced her age to 26 years old, she is supposed to serve in the military for 30 years. At her 20 years experience in the service when the country will be counting on her experience for tactical operations, she will be 56 years, and may lose the strength for the operation, also by the time she will be due for retirement, her real age will be 76 years old.

Moving forward, I suggest that the Parliament of Ghana, if not on record, like Congress in the United States, had a law governing the age limits in recruiting or enlisting into our security agencies should do so to safeguard the country.

Signed

Anthony Acquaye ( Masters in Security, KAIPTC)

Centre for Security Dialogue and Peace Advocacy ( CSDPA)

NW/OGB