Committee probes recruitments into security agencies

The Ministry for the Interior has set up a seven-member committee to review the recruitments that were made into the security services last year.

The exercise will cover the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Prisons Service, the Ghana National Fire Service, the Ghana Immigration Service and other agencies.

The committee, chaired by a former Executive Secretary of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Yaw Akrasi Sarpong, has two weeks to present its report.

The other members are a retired Commissioner of Police (COP), Bright Oduro; a former Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Eric Afari (retd); a former Deputy Director of Prisons, Ben Lartey (retd); a former Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Paa Kwesi Adutwum (retd); a lawyer, Elsie Apau, and Alexander Twum-Barimah, the Secretary to the committee.

Approach

Inaugurating the committee in Accra yesterday, the sector minister, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, charged the committee members to approach their mandate with diligence, objectivity and integrity.

He said under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, the government was committed to ensuring that the security agencies were professional, efficient and capable of safeguarding the country.

“Our vision is to build strong, well-resourced and accountable security institutions that uphold the rule of law, protect our citizens and contribute to national development,” he said.

Alhaji Mubarak said a key part of achieving that vision was ensuring that recruitments into the security services were fair, transparent and based on merit and that the integrity of those processes directly affected the credibility and effectiveness of the security agencies.

“The government is determined to ensure that recruitment practices align with our national security needs and reflect the highest standards of professionalism and fairness,” the Interior Minister said.

Background

The Ministry for the Interior has the mandate to oversee recruitments into key security institutions, including the police, prisons, fire service and immigration service. Those institutions play a critical role in maintaining law and order, protecting lives and property and securing the country’s national borders.

“In 2024, the recruitment processes for these agencies were conducted. However, concerns have been raised regarding transparency, fairness, efficiency and integrity in the recruitment process.

“To address these concerns, it has become necessary to conduct a comprehensive review to ensure that our recruitment processes remain credible and aligned with best practices,” Mr Mubarak emphasised.

Alhaji Mubarak said it was against that backdrop that the committee had been constituted to assess the existing recruitment policies, evaluate compliance with due process and recommend measures to enhance transparency, efficiency and accountability in the security services recruitment process.

Terms

The committee, the minister said, had been given clear terms of reference to guide its work and that it comprised assessing the transparency, fairness and integrity of the recruitment process undertaken by the police, prisons, fire, immigration and other service agencies currently under training.

It is also to evaluate compliance with due process and recommend measures to ensure the laid down procedures for recruitment are followed.

“At the end of its work, the committee is expected to submit a comprehensive report detailing its findings, challenges identified and specific recommendations for policy, procedural and institutional reforms.

“The report should also outline an implementation roadmap to guide the adoption of the proposed reforms,” he said, adding that the committee was composed of seasoned professionals with extensive experience in security administration, public service and legal expertise.

Report

Alhaji Mubarak said the committee was expected to report to him directly and that the final report would be presented to the ministry, which would then take the necessary steps to implement the recommendations in collaboration with relevant authorities.

The Interior Minister said to facilitate the committee’s work, the government would provide the necessary logistical and financial resources, including office spaces and administrative support, access to relevant documents and databases, funding for stakeholder consultations, field research and technical support for drafting the final report.

Mr Sarpong, for his part, said the members would deliver according to the expectation of the minister.