The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has raised serious concerns about the transparency and fairness of an ongoing government recruitment exercise, alleging that the process appears structured to exploit applicants rather than offer genuine employment opportunities.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Class Media Group, the Effutu Member of Parliament criticized the system, describing it as one that risks scamming thousands of hopeful job seekers across the country.

According to him, the recruitment process requires applicants to pay for application forms, sit for an AI-generated aptitude test, and subsequently qualify for medical examinations. However, despite hundreds of thousands of applicants participating in the process, only about 105 candidates have reportedly qualified for the medical stage so far.

The Minority Leader argued that the limited number of slots available compared to the massive number of applicants raises serious questions about the fairness of the system. He also pointed to the high financial burden on applicants, noting that candidates who qualify for medical screening are required to pay approximately ₵1,600 for the tests — fees which are non-refundable regardless of the outcome.

“These are ordinary young people desperate for jobs. When you make them pay for forms, tests and medicals with such slim chances of success, it begins to look like a system designed to exploit their desperation,” Afenyo-Markin said during the interview.

The government has reportedly proposed increasing the annual recruitment intake from 5,000 to 10,000 in response to growing criticism. However, Afenyo-Markin maintains that the measure is insufficient, especially considering that more than 100,000 applicants have already qualified for medical examinations.

He further accused authorities of failing to provide clear information about how candidates are shortlisted and selected, describing the process as lacking transparency.

The Minority Leader therefore called on the government to engage directly with affected applicants and review the recruitment framework to ensure fairness and accountability.

He urged authorities to “listen to the grassroots,” warning that growing frustration among unemployed youth could deepen public distrust if the concerns are not addressed.