The Majority in Parliament has rejected a call by the Minority for the government to refund GH¢113 million paid by disqualified applicants in the ongoing recruitment exercise into the country’s security services.
The Majority caucus argued that similar payments made by applicants who were disqualified during recruitment exercises under the administration of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo were not refunded.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Monday, March 16, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga described the Minority’s demand for a refund as unfounded, stressing that the focus should rather be on addressing youth unemployment.
“You cannot be discussing refunds now. Let us discuss how we can fix the economy so that jobs can be created for these young people. How can the money be refunded? The young ones are looking for jobs, not the money,” he stated.
Mr. Ayariga also defended the government’s decision to allow about 500,000 applicants to compete for roughly 5,000 available positions, explaining that the approach was meant to ensure fairness and equal opportunity in the recruitment process.
“What we are doing is giving every young person a fair opportunity. We could have simply gone and selected our foot soldiers and given them the jobs the same way the NPP did, but we are not doing that,” he said.
He added that the large number of applicants reflects the scale of unemployment in the country and highlights the need for broader economic reforms to create more jobs for young people.
He assured that the government remains committed to revitalising the private sector to expand employment opportunities.
