Political commentator, Johnson Nyamesem has criticized the government over the large number of military and police recruitment forms sold to young people despite the limited number of available positions.
Speaking on the Wontumi Morning Show, hosted by Kweku Kyeremanteng Nkansah, Nyamesem questioned why authorities would sell recruitment forms to about 500,000 applicants when only around 5,000 people are expected to be recruited.
According to him, the situation places unnecessary financial and emotional pressure on thousands of unemployed youths across the country.
“The authorities should refund applicants who do not qualify,” he stated.
Nyamesem explained that many young people faced serious difficulties during the recruitment process due to the high unemployment rate in the country. He noted that some applicants had to travel from distant communities to major cities simply to access reliable internet services in order to complete their online registration.
He also recalled a tragic incident during a previous recruitment exercise, where a stampede reportedly occurred at the body selection stage, leading to the deaths of five applicants.
Nyamesem further alleged that some recruitment slots are influenced by political actors. According to him, certain Members of Parliament allegedly control portions of the recruitment slots and distribute them among their supporters, with some positions even reportedly being sold.
In addition, he criticized the government’s employment claims. Nyamesem said that although President John Dramani Mahama previously announced plans to create one million jobs, data from the Ghana Statistical Service suggests that only about 300,000 people have been employed so far.
He therefore called for greater transparency and fairness in the recruitment process to ensure that opportunities are accessible to all qualified applicants