The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called for closer scrutiny of the ongoing security services recruitment being conducted under the Ministry of the Interior (Ghana).

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Efutu Member of Parliament urged the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, to appear before the House to brief lawmakers on the recruitment process.

Mr Afenyo-Markin expressed concern about the large number of applicants reportedly being invited to undergo medical screening compared to the limited number of available positions.

According to him, about 200,000 applicants are expected to go through the medical examination stage, with each candidate paying a GHS1,600 fee. However, he noted that only about 500 people are expected to be finally selected.

The Minority Leader questioned the fairness of allowing such a high number of applicants to pay the medical fee when the number of available jobs is significantly lower.

He said the situation raises concerns about transparency and accountability in the recruitment exercise and called for the process to be temporarily suspended until the Interior Minister appears before Parliament to provide further clarification.

Meanwhile, the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, defended the recruitment process on the floor of Parliament.

He said the government believes every Ghanaian should have a fair opportunity to apply whenever public sector recruitment opportunities are announced.

Mr Ayariga explained that the National Democratic Congress administration decided to open the recruitment portal to all qualified citizens in the interest of fairness.

He added that the government could have restricted the opportunity to party supporters, as he claimed happened under the New Patriotic Party government, but chose instead to make the process open.

According to him, the large number of applicants reflects the unemployment challenges facing the country and highlights the need for more job creation.