NDC MPs Petition CHRAJ over Alleged Security Service Recruitment

Some lawmakers belonging to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the alleged recruitment into the various security services in the country.

The petition is premised on a Chronicle article published earlier this month and a cited press release from the Ghana Police Service in July 2023, they said.

According to them, the alleged recruitment by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS0, the Ghana Police Service (GPS), the Ghana Prisons Service and the Narcotic Control Commission (NACOC) violates the 1992 Constitution as well as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice Act, 1993 (Act 456).

It argued that these institutions must carry out recruitment to meet the constitutional and statutory thresholds, that is, adherence to a balanced structuring, equal access and fair administration.

“Besides, it is our contention that, the intended and purported recruitments by the GIS, GNFS GPS, Prisons and NACOC violate Articles 23 and 296(a)(b) of the Constitution and same amount to flagrant abuse of power, unfair and unreasonable treatment, and above all arbitrary exercise of power by the above-mentioned public bodies and their officials responsible for the
Recruitment.”

The three lawmakers namely Peter Lancheni Toobu, MP for Wa West, Jame Agalga, MP for Builsa North and Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, MP for Elembele want the Commission to ascertain the processes and procedures for the alleged recruitment.

They also want to know the processes and procedures resorted by the GPS, GIS, GNS, Prisons and NACOC in selecting candidates from the purported backlog as well as the processes and procedures, including the eligibility criteria resorted to by the police service in the selection of the last batch of successful candidates to conclude its 2021-2022 recruitment exercise.