The Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin South and Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Security, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has launched a fierce rebuttal against proposals by some National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawmakers to raise the maximum enlistment age for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
He described the calls as “populist, misguided, misconceived and dangerous,” warning that they risk compromising the professionalism and discipline of the military.
“NDC Cabinet Ministers and Parliamentary Leadership must be made to know that it is extremely backward and dangerous to force unqualified people into the military as a reward for party patronage. Stop the undue interference in the credible and professional recruitment process underway by the Ghana Armed Forces”
Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, MP for Assin South
The controversy erupted after the Minister for Communication, Digital Innovation and Technology, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, called for a review of the current age ceiling for military recruitment, arguing that the policy unfairly disqualifies competent, physically fit individuals in their 30s who are eager to serve their country.
The debate has since intensified amid the ongoing GAF recruitment exercise, with Majority Whip and MP for South Dayi, Hon. Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, backing Hon. George’s call.
Hon. Dafeamekpor cited examples from other countries, including Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Nigeria, and the United States, where enlistment beyond 30 years is permitted, suggesting that Ghana should adopt a similar approach. But Rev. Fordjour has dismissed such comparisons, maintaining that Ghana’s military structure and national context demand a strict adherence to existing standards.
“I think by now Hon. Sam George and Hon. Dafeamekpor must concede that their calls were populist, needless, dangerous and backwards to the kind of defence system we want to build in the 21st century era.
“We must resist every attempt, as every well-meaning member of this country, of politicians trying to infiltrate the military with unqualified over-age party foot soldiers. Any attempts to lower the recruitment standards and eligibility criteria for the military will be too dangerous and a blunder”
Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, MP for Assin South
The Assin South MP strongly accused the NDC MPs of advancing a partisan agenda to push party loyalists into the Armed Forces under the guise of reform and argued that relaxing recruitment criteria for political or sentimental reasons would be detrimental to Ghana’s security architecture.
“We will resist every attempt by the NDC to load their overage foot soldiers into the Ghana Armed Forces,” Rev. Fordjour said, further condemning what he described as an entrenched political mindset that sees recruitment slots as partisan privileges rather than national service opportunities.
“The insinuation that the spaces within GAF are the bonafide of the ruling government party apparatus are wrong,” he warned.
Focus on Defence Leadership, Not Age Limit
Rev. Fordjour argued that rather than pushing for an increase in enlistment age, the NDC lawmakers should focus their energy on ensuring that Ghana’s defence sector has effective leadership and adequate resources.
“No serious country would have their Minister for Defence position vacant for a month,” he remarked, in reference to the tragic death of former Defence Minister, Hon. Edward Omane Boamah in the 6th August Helicopter crash. With Finance Minister Hon. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson temporarily holding that office per the President’s order, Rev. Fordjour described the focus on military age restrictions as misplaced priorities by the MPs.
He also urged the government to make timely financial releases to the Armed Forces, emphasizing that logistical and resource constraints continue to hinder their operational efficiency. “The first call they must make is for their government to retool them and give them funds to meet their critical needs,” he said.
Rev. Fordjour questioned whether Ghana truly lacks enough qualified young people between the ages of 20 and 30 to meet the military’s manpower needs. He maintained that recruitment should be based on merit, fitness, and national security considerations – not political expediency.
The Assin South MP reiterated that the military must remain insulated from partisan influence, warning that lowering standards would set a dangerous precedent for future administrations.
Rev. Fordjour’s remarks have added a sharp edge to an already heated national debate over recruitment fairness, transparency, and the role of politics in Ghana’s security institutions.
READ ALSO: Guinness Ghana Leads Bull Run as GSE Financial Stocks Rally 65.76% YTD
