President John Dramani Mahama has defended the recent recruitment exercise into Ghana’s security services, emphasizing that digitalisation was introduced to prevent favouritism and ensure fairness.
Speaking to the Ghanaian community in Philadelphia on March 26, Mahama said the use of technology was intended to address long-standing concerns that recruitment was often influenced by personal connections. “The computer doesn’t know who you are,” he noted.
The exercise drew an overwhelming response, with about 500,000 recruitment vouchers sold for only 5,000 initial positions. In response, the government decided to expand the recruitment, ensuring that all applicants would not need to pay again.
Acknowledging the logistical and administrative challenges, Mahama stressed that measures are being taken to improve transparency and equal opportunity in future exercises.
Despite scrutiny over the system and concerns about youth unemployment, the President maintained that the digital approach represents a major step toward eliminating human bias and promoting fairness in security service recruitment.