Obeng says his journey into the British Army began after unfair experience with Ghana’s recruitment
A Ghanaian man who was once frustrated in his bid to join Ghana’s security services has narrated how persistence, chance encounters led him to serve in the British Army without cutting his dreadlocks, paying bribes or incurring training costs.
Terry Kwame Obeng, popularly known on TikTok as Strabo Quame, shared his story in a recent account that has since attracted widespread attention online.
The Ghanaian-born soldier says his journey into the British Army began after what he describes as an unfair experience with Ghana’s recruitment system.
According to him, between 2018 and 2019, he applied to join the Ghana National Fire Service and the Ghana Prison Service during a period when several security agencies, including the Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces, were recruiting.
According to Terry, he purchased application forms for the Fire Service but was never invited for screening. His application to the Prison Service, however, progressed further.
He was invited to the Cape Coast Nkaful Prisons for screening, where he passed all assessments, including physical checks, tattoo screening and written examinations.
Despite successfully completing the process, he waited for several months without receiving a call-up for training.
“My first choice was the Fire Service. If that failed, then I wanted the Prison Service because I didn’t have interest in the army.
“So, I applied but only the prisons service called me but for fire I didn’t hear from them. For the prison’s they didn’t even pick me up and I learnt my name was swapped.”
The incident, he said, left him discouraged and uncertain about his future.
Years later, Terry’s life took a dramatic turn through social media. He received a Facebook friend request from a Ghanaian serving in the British Army.
The two struck up a friendship and when the soldier returned to Ghana for his father’s funeral, they met in person.
During their interaction, Terry learned that the British Army was recruiting and was encouraged to apply. With assistance from his friend and another individual identified as Danny, his application was processed.
He submitted the required documents and was later invited to the United Kingdom for assessment.
At the time, Terry said he was facing severe financial difficulties and pressure from loan companies.
“I was in serious debt and being chased by loan companies and I didn’t even think of joining the force again,” he recalled.
To raise funds for his visa application, his father supported him by giving him four plots of land to sell.
“When my visa came out, I cried. The success I was chasing came from a completely different direction,” he said.
Upon arriving in the UK, Terry said the British Army covered his accommodation, meals, transportation, medical tests and training. He passed all required assessments and was accepted into the army on the same day.
Notably, he was allowed to enlist with his dreadlocks and tattoos, something he believes would have disqualified him in Ghana.
Since joining, Terry says he has participated in significant national events, including King Charles III’s coronation, earned medals, and granted interviews to international media outlets such as BBC, Sky News and the Daily Mail.
Looking back, Terry questioned why his appearance would have limited his chances in Ghana when it posed no barrier in the UK.
According to him, joining the Ghana Armed Forces would have required unofficial payments estimated between GH₵50,000 and GH₵60,000, a cost he could not afford.
“The British Army let me in without bribes, without paying for forms and without unnecessary barriers,” he said.
@straboquame How I joined the British army after being rejected by the forces in Ghana. #ghanaarmy🇬🇭 #ghanaarmedforces #ghana #ghanaarmedforcesrecruitment2025 ♬ original sound – Strabo Quame
AM
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