The government will not open a new application portal for security service recruitment next year, Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed has disclosed, assuring applicants who have already completed the screening process that they will be considered for subsequent recruitment batches.
Speaking during the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament’s hearing on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the minister explained that the government would continue recruiting from the existing pool of applicants who had successfully completed the required stages but could not be admitted because of limited capacity and financial constraints.
He emphasised that applicants who had qualified for training but were not selected in the initial batch would remain eligible for consideration as additional recruitment opportunities became available.
Hon Muntaka explained that the recruitment exercise had been staggered because the government could not accommodate all qualified applicants at once. According to him, the initial clearance allowed the security services to recruit 10,000 personnel, requiring authorities to select candidates in phases based on available resources and training capacity.
He assured applicants who had completed the process that they would not be required to begin the application and screening process again when subsequent recruitment batches were selected.
“The assurance we are giving them is that when the next batch is going to be taken, it is not going to be that you are not going to apply and go through screening because you have gone through all that already”.
Minister for Interior Muntaka Mubarack Mohammed
The minister, however, indicated that applicants whose medical examinations had become outdated might be required to undergo fresh medical assessments. He explained that candidates whose medical results were more than six months or a year old could be asked to repeat the examinations before being considered for admission.
The government’s approach, he stressed, would be to draw from the existing list of qualified applicants until those who had already passed the recruitment process had been exhausted.
No Fresh Recruitment Portal Next Year
The Interior Minister was emphatic that, under the current instructions, the government would not open the recruitment portal to new applicants next year.
He explained that the decision was intended to ensure that candidates who had already applied, completed screening, and qualified for training but missed out because of limited spaces received priority in subsequent batches.
“Next year there will be no new applicants. We are not going to open a portal for new fresh applicants. We’ll keep picking from the list until we exhausted before another application will be allowed”.
Minister for Interior Muntaka Mubarack Mohammed
The minister’s comments provide an assurance to applicants who were informed that they had passed their medical examinations but would have to wait for subsequent recruitment batches.
He explained that some candidates had received communication congratulating them on passing the medical stage while advising them to await further instructions on whether they would be included in the first, second or third batch.
Hon Muntaka maintained that their delayed admission was not deliberate but reflected the limited capacity available to accommodate all qualified candidates.
Financial Constraints Limit Security Recruitment
The minister attributed the phased recruitment exercise to the government’s financial limitations, explaining that the country needed more security personnel but could not recruit everyone at once.
Using the Ghana Police Service as an example, he estimated that the country required between 70,000 and 80,000 police officers to man the country effectively, compared with the approximately 50,000 personnel he indicated were currently available.
“Because of the financial implications, government cannot take all the people at a go, at one,” he explained. He thanked young Ghanaians for expressing interest in serving the country through the security services, acknowledging the importance of their willingness to join the various agencies.
However, he stressed that the government had to align recruitment numbers with available resources and the capacity to train and accommodate new personnel. The phased approach, he indicated, would allow the government to continue filling vacancies without immediately admitting every qualified applicant.
Policy Reinforces Mahama’s Earlier Assurance
Hon Muntaka’s disclosure reinforces an earlier assurance by President John Dramani Mahama while addressing the Ghanaian community in the United States regarding applicants affected by the staggered security recruitment exercise.
The minister’s statement outlines how the government intends to manage the existing pool of applicants who have completed the required stages but could not secure immediate admission into training.
Under the arrangement, the authorities will continue selecting eligible candidates from that pool as additional recruitment opportunities arise, rather than immediately inviting new applicants to begin the process.
The policy also means that applicants may have to wait for subsequent batches, with the timing of their admission dependent on available spaces and government resources.
Although the minister confirmed that the existing list would be used before fresh applications are permitted, he did not provide a specific timeline for exhausting the pool or indicate how many qualified applicants remain awaiting admission.
For candidates who have already completed screening, the announcement offers clarity on the government’s current recruitment approach: their applications will remain under consideration, subject to eligibility requirements and the availability of places in future training batches.
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