Vice Chairman of the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament, Collins Owusu Amankwah has advocated the scrapping of minimum height requirements as one of the key legibility processes for enlistment into the country's security services.

According to the Manhyia North MP, the practice is unfair and “discriminatory” against the vertically challenged.

Each year, numerous applicants have been refused entry into the Army, Police, Prisons and Fire Service because they don't meet the standard height requirements of 5"8 for males and 5"4 for females.

But speaking to Class News, Mr Owusu Amankwah called for a review of the existing regime.

He said: “In this day and age intelligence gathering is more of brainwork than physical strength. I believe in academic competency vis-à-vis physical appearance. I have nothing against the issue of fitness but when it comes to height as a requirement I have a strong reservation, in that, it is inconsistent with the general laws of this country.

“It is highly discriminatory because somebody has qualified and you are denying the person based on his or her height. That before you can be enlisted, the applicant must be at least 5 feet 8 inches tall for males and 5 feet 4 inches for female.

“It is so surprising that in this modern world when we are talking about brainwork and we are still relying on archaic principle of enlisting our able men and women”.