Ayariga Rejects Calls to Refund GH¢113m to Disqualified Security Applicants

The Majority in Parliament has dismissed calls by the Minority for a refund of GH¢113 million paid by disqualified applicants in the ongoing recruitment exercise into the country’s security services.

According to the Majority caucus, 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, the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, described the Minority’s demand for a refund as unfounded, insisting that the focus should rather be on addressing unemployment among the youth.

“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.

Ayariga further defended the government’s decision to allow about 500,000 applicants to compete for roughly 5,000 available positions, explaining that the move was intended 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 underscores the urgent need for broader economic reforms to create more jobs for young people, assuring the government’s commitment to revitalising the private sector to create job opportunities for the youth.

However, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said the defence by the Majority caucus undermines the government’s reset agenda.