Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has spoken out against the government's decision to charge GH¢200 from each applicant in the ongoing security services recruitment drive.

He has termed the fee as an exploitation of desperate youth struggling to find jobs.

On JoyNews AM Show on Monday, March 16, 2026, he pointed out that around 500,000 people applied this time.

According to him, that massive number is not just an indication of excitement to joint security services such as the police, immigration, fire, etc but a clear sign of how deep Ghana's unemployment problem runs.

“And so, it wasn’t surprising that about 500,000 people applied for that position, the government charged GH¢200 from each applicant. That for me is very unfortunate. It looks like we are exploiting the vulnerability of the Ghanaian youth,” he said.

The reality is harsh as over 500,000 applied; more than 105,000 made it through medical screening, but there are only about 5,000 actual slots available. That leaves huge crowds of hopefuls disappointed.

“The obvious truth is that they only have available slots for about 5,000 applicants,” he explained.

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As Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Subsidiary Legislation Committee, Awuah said the Minority has raised red flags about the whole process, but he wants to look beyond party lines.

Unemployment has been a painful issue for years—no matter which party was in power.

“As a politician, when discussing this issue, I can imagine that you would want me to take it from the perspective of the failures of the government. It’s rich because it puts us in good stead,” he said.

“However, I would like to take it from a bigger perspective, which is that we are really a nation in crisis and it’s unfortunate that politicians are taking advantage of the situation without a solution to it,” he added.

He reminded listeners of President John Dramani Mahama's recent State of the Nation Address, where he mentioned that about two million Ghanaians are unemployed right now.

Awuah added that the problem was already serious back in 2017, with groups like the Unemployed Graduates Association formed to highlight the struggle.

He recalled the NPP's Nation Builders Corps (NAPCO), which saw over 800,000 young people sign up, hoping for a path into steady work; but COVID-19 hit, followed by economic troubles and the IMF deal, forcing the program to pause.

Recent moves like raising the age limit for security recruitment from 25 to 35 and talk of the 24-Hour Economy policies sparked fresh hope that more jobs were coming.

“The moment you extend the age range and promise a three-shift system under the 24-Hour Economy, people naturally expect that recruitment will increase,” he said.

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Awuah hopes this recruitment drama sparks a real national talk about creating lasting jobs and tackling youth unemployment head-on, instead of short-term fixes that leave most people hanging.

NA/VPO

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