The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) will in the next three and half years recruit 12,000 personnel to bolster the man-power strength of the Forces.
“I am excited to announce that, as has been communicated by the Commander-in-Chief, a comprehensive enlistment and recruitment exercise is to be undertaken with the view to increasing the man-power strength of the Ghana Armed Forces.
“Altogether, we are enlisting and recruiting 12,000 personnel within the next three and half years,” the Minister for Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah said.
He made this known at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday.
According to Dr Boamah, aimed at making the Military ready to support the industrialisation agenda of the government, professionals would be targeted, going forward, in the recruitment drive.
“Looking at the needs of the Ghana Armed Forces and in particular the desire to build institutional capacity to support the ongoing drive towards industrialisation and food security, future enlistment and recruitment exercises will also be targeting specific qualifications— such as Agric Extension Officers, artisans, engineers, biochemists among others,” he indicated.
He cautioned potential applicants to avoid dealing with third parties in the application process because the GAF would not contract or delegate any individuals, organisations or institutions to undertake any recruitment and enlistment exercise on its behalf.
The Ministry of Defence, he said, would support the Ghana Armed Forces to enhance the capabilities of the recruitment and enlistment portal ahead of the August-September 2025 man-power enhancement drive.
“The public is therefore advised to avoid fraudsters and scammers who pose as agents of the Armed Forces to recruit personnel. You engage them at your own risk. Report them to lawful authority.
“Joining the Ghana Armed Forces under President Mahama will be based solely on merit, not money. We seek to train soldiers who will not be in haste to provide guard duties for unauthorised persons. That era is over!” he stressed.
Giving an account of the last recruitment, the minister said upon assuming office early this year, an inquiry he instituted into the enlistment of would-be officers revealed that out of the 452 Ghana Military Academy hopefuls, 210, representing 46 per cent, did not meet the eligibility test.
For the Regular Career Course, out of the 64 who are currently in training, the audit indicated that 34 trainees side-stepped one or more of the stage(s) of the enlistment processes.
“It was difficult sending them home since they had been in training for almost one year. Sending 34 well-trained energetic youth who had endured military training home in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous West African sub-region with free floating weapons and ammunitions can have severe consequences,” he noted.
In this regard, Dr Boamah said the affected applicants have been directed to fulfil all criteria. However, if they fail to meet the requirements, they would be released from training.
Regarding adversely affected persons in the Regular Career Course (RCC) 65 and Short Service Course (SSC) 62, who are yet to report for training, they have since been directed to discontinue their participation in the enlistment process, he said.
“This means 115 Regular and 75 Short Service personnel have been cleared to report for training in due course to join the RCC64 intake.
“The Ghana Armed Forces must be a force of excellence, integrity, opportunity and national integration,” he emphasized.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
