The Executive Director of the West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism, Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar, has criticized the recruitment process within Ghana’s security services, stating that it is riddled with bribery and political interference.
Speaking on Prime News on ABC News GH on Thursday, February 13, he emphasized that corruption in security enlistment is an open secret.
“It is not news that our security space has been hugely politicized, to the extent that recruitment is influenced by political parties,” he stated.
He added that reports of individuals allegedly paying for recruitment slots within the security services have become increasingly common.
Mr. Muqthar warned that these corrupt practices undermine professionalism and put unqualified individuals in positions of authority.
“There are quite a good number of them in there who are not qualified or fit enough to step within the security service,” he noted.
He further referenced past scandals involving senior officers and instances of police personnel engaging in criminal activities, including armed robbery.
“We’ve seen situations where they cannot even write a report,” he lamented, stressing the urgent need for reforms in the recruitment process to safeguard national security.
Despite his concerns, Mr. Muqthar commended the newly appointed Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak, for establishing a 7-member committee to investigate recruitment irregularities within the security services.
He urged the public and relevant stakeholders to support this initiative.
“The fact that the minister has decided to set up a committee now to look into it must be met with a lot of support to ensure that we sanitize the space,” he stated.
The committee’s formation comes amid growing public outcry over alleged inconsistencies in the recruitment process, with expectations that its findings will lead to critical reforms in the sector.
