President John Dramani Mahama has dismissed allegations of favouritism in the ongoing security service recruitment, asserting that the transition to a digital system was specifically designed to ensure fairness.

He indicated that the move toward automation remains the surest way to guarantee transparency and eliminate human interference in the enlistment process.

Addressing members of the Ghanaian community in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 26, 2026, Mahama said that the introduction of a digital recruitment system was a deliberate attempt to eliminate bias and ensure a fair process.

“There have been longstanding complaints that recruitment is based on personal connections. This was an effort to use digitalization to manage the initial stage of the application process. The computer does not know who you are,” he stated.

President Mahama doubles security services recruitment target to 40,000

He also noted that the use of technology was specifically designed to remove human interference at the preliminary stage, thereby giving all applicants an equal chance which eventually attracted a large number of applicants.

He stated that nearly 500,000 individuals purchased application vouchers, even though the initial target was to recruit about 5,000 people.

“The intention was genuine, but the numbers exceeded our projections. Following discussions, we agreed to expand the intake, and those who had already applied will not be required to pay again,” he added.

President Mahama further assured that an assessment of this year’s (2026) exercise would inform improvements in future recruitment processes, with a sustained commitment to transparency and equity.

The recruitment exercise has in recent weeks sparked public debate, particularly over the gap between actual applications and available slots, underscoring wider concerns about unemployment in the country.

SO/VPO

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