The Minority Caucus in Parliament has officially petitioned the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to compel the Ministry of Interior to conduct recruitment into the security services according to the law and the 1992 Constitution.
The move comes after the Caucus received information suggesting the Ministry is proceeding with a clandestine recruitment exercise.
Structured and balanced recruitment
In a recent interview, James Agalga, the Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, emphasized the importance of a transparent recruitment process.
He said, “We have realized that the ministry is still bent on proceeding with the secret recruitment. The Minority wants the exercise to be done in a structured and balanced manner per the law.”
The petition underscores the need for equal access to recruitment opportunities in the security services.
Hon. Agalga stressed that the Constitution mandates recruitment into public services, including the police, prisons, and fire service, to be conducted in a manner that ensures regional balance and transparency.
“How can you guarantee equal access to all if the recruitments are not advertised with the eligibility criteria spelt out,” he questioned.
Equal access for all
The Minority’s petition, which has gained traction on social media, has been signed by several key members, including Peter Lanchini Toobu and Deputy Minority Leader Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
Agalga stressed that the Minority is not against the recruitment of youth into the security services but insists that the process must be fair.
“All we are saying is that the processes leading to the recruitment must be transparent and just so that the youth of this country can have equal access to the security services,” he stated.
He warned against any favouritism in the recruitment process, emphasizing the dangers of allowing only individuals associated with the ruling party to be recruited.
“There is no room for manipulation here whereby only party loyalists can be recruited into our security services. If we allow that to happen, we’d all be in grave danger,” Agalga warned.
Petition
The petition calls on CHRAJ to ensure that the recruitment process is conducted transparently and by constitutional provisions.
Agalga expressed hope that the government would not engage in any actions that could undermine the petition while it is pending before CHRAJ stating, “We pray that the government will not resort to conduct which can overreach the petition.”
“If they do that, there will be dire consequences because they will have flouted the Constitution and the CHRAJ Act.”
“The clarion call has been for them to advertise. Even after that engagement, we have picked up intel that they do not intend to abide by the terms of the agreement,” he added.
The Minority continues to advocate for the Ministry of Interior to advertise recruitment opportunities and adhere to the terms of the agreement reached to ensure fair and transparent processes.