The Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has said the high number of disqualified applicants in the ongoing security services recruitment highlights the urgent need for deliberate job creation in the country.
Responding to concerns raised on the floor of Parliament by the Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, Mr Ayariga noted that calls for refunds of monies paid by disqualified applicants would not fully address the broader challenges associated with the recruitment process.
He explained that the situation, where even first-degree and master’s degree holders resort to using their West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results to apply for security service roles, reflects the growing demand among the youth for stable employment.
“Mr Speaker, the number of over 400,000 young people who applied shows the enormity of the unemployment problem in this country that we have to fix. All they are looking for are stable jobs, and the jobs in the security services appear stable to them,” Mr Ayariga said.
“I know people with first and master’s degrees who have stepped down to use their SHS certificates just to be eligible to apply,” he added.
Mr Ayariga, therefore, urged Members of Parliament to collaborate in addressing the rising youth unemployment challenge.
Earlier, Mr Afenyo-Markin had called on the government to suspend the medical screening stage for successful applicants pending a comprehensive review of the recruitment process.
He also urged the Majority Leader to schedule the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, to appear before Parliament to brief the House on the ongoing exercise.
“Mr Speaker, over the weekend, our constituents received notices on their phones inviting them to undergo medicals. I want to appeal to the Majority Leader to ensure that, as promised by the Interior Minister, the recruitment process is halted until he briefs this House,” Mr Afenyo-Markin said.
