More than 500 individuals have been dismissed from Ghana’s security services following a nationwide audit that uncovered serious breaches in recruitment protocols before and after the December 2024 general election.
The announcement was made by Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak on Monday, July 14, 2025, during the inaugural Government Accountability Series in Accra.
The audit, commissioned by the government, reviewed the recruitment of over 5,200 personnel across agencies such as the Ghana Police Service, Immigration Service, and the Narcotics Control Commission.
The investigation found that hundreds of recruits had entered the security services despite being medically unfit, over-aged, or lacking the basic academic qualifications.
“Some were in their forties, diabetic, and medically unfit, but they were picked,” Mr. Muntaka stated.
The Police Service alone had approximately 320 such disqualifications, with one case involving a parliamentary lobby for a recruit who failed every subject in the SSSCE—Ghana’s minimum academic qualification for entry.
The Immigration Service saw the largest cut, with about 730 recruits removed, while the Narcotics Control Commission had 50 affected individuals.
Each disqualified person received a formal notice explaining their dismissal.
To prevent recurrence, Mr. Muntaka announced new recruitment protocols that will clearly define officer roles versus technical support roles.
Future intakes will include skilled artisans such as drivers, painters, and dressmakers—but they will be hired strictly for their craft, not as officers.
“I know people who went to vocational school and became dressmakers.
The services need them to sew uniforms,” the Minister said. Recruitment adverts will now outline clear criteria for eligibility, role descriptions, and expectations, a move aimed at restoring public trust and ensuring merit-based entry into Ghana’s security sector.
