The Member of Parliament for Asin South and Ranking Member on the Defense and Interior committee of Parliament, Rev. John Ntim Fourdjour, has alleged that security agencies, particularly the Ghana Armed Forces, are under pressure from government to lower recruitment standards to suit the demands of its party foot soldiers.
Rev. Fordjour alleged that the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) is on course to fulfill its campaign promise to its party foot soldiers, citing a video of President John Dramani Mahama, then the party’s flagbearer engagement with some members of the public to back his claims.
In the said video, President Mahama, then Presidential candidate for the ruling National Democratic Congress, is seen telling his audience that everything good for Ghanaians is also good for the youth of their party.
In the said video, President Mahama further indicated that when the NDC emerged victorious in the 2024 general elections, his administration would ensure even distribution of job opportunities to all Ghanaians, including party members, particularly mentioning recruitment into the security services.
President Mahama’s remarks as a presidential candidate and the recent calls from two Members of Parliament for the governing National Democratic Congress for an upward adjustment in the maximum age limit requirement for enlistment and recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces, appears to be the bases of Rev. Ntim Fordjour’s allegations.
“After President Mahama openly promising to recruit NDC foot-soldiers into Security Agencies to make it the sole rights of NDCs, they are now under pressure to lower recruitment standards so they push in their 35-year-old unqualified party foot soldiers into military”.
Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for Asin South and Ranking Member, Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament.
These allegations follow his earlier objections to calls from Hon. Samuel Natey George, Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, and Hon. Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Member of Parliament for South Dayi, describing it as an “uninformed populist agenda” and an attempt to “load unqualified overaged NDC foot soldiers into the Ghana Armed Forces”.
Rev. Fordjour stated that such moves from the government will be fiercely resisted, describing it as dangerous and backward. He further argued that such resistance is necessary for the protection of the professionalism and reputation of the Ghana Armed Forces that has been build for years.
He pointed that no one should be allowed to undermine the principles of the Ghana Armed Forces just to please political party foot soldiers, arguing that the Armed Forces are “formidable and have solid, reputable and meritorious entry requirements for all Ghanaians regardless party affiliation”.
Rev. Fordjour also indicated that the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) will keenly monitor all security recruitments in the country and should power switch hands to his party, all such recruitment will be subjected to an audit to “ensure strict compliance”.
He further stated that his party will make sure provisions are put in place to safeguard Security Agencies’ enlistment and recruitment from political abuse. “We shall closely monitor and audit all security recruitments to ensure strict compliance and insulate recruitment from political abuse”, he stated.
The allegations of Rev. Fordjour may engineer concerns and conversations from the public, given the calls from the two Members of Parliament for the NDC, and the remarks of President Mahama in a campaign video cited by the Ranking Member on the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament.
It is yet unknown, the response of the Ghana Armed Forces to the earlier calls by the Members of Parliament for the governing party, and the allegations of Rev. Ntim Fordjour, that is if there will be a response at all.
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