Collins Owusu Amankwaah
The Vice Chairman for the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, Collins Owusu Amankwaah, has questioned the relevance of height as a requirement for enlistment into the security services in the country.
According to the Manhyia North Member of Parliament, the move, which he describes as discriminatory is disqualifying indigenes of the Ashanti region from enlisting to the nation’s security agencies.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Amankwaah demanded a review of such a requirement.
“I think we must have a second look at our requirements into the security agencies in this country…in this day and age intelligence gathering is more about brain work than physical strength. When it comes to height as a requirement, I have a strong reservation in that it is inconsistent and repugnant with the general laws of this country.
“From where I am coming from, we are short in nature, [Ashanti region] that does not mean that we don’t have the capacity to provide policing in terms of public safety. I think that this particular requirement is highly biased, discriminatory and must be reviewed as a matter of necessity and urgency,” the lawmaker told Starr FM’s Parliamentary correspondent Ibrahim Alhassan.
There is a minimum height requirement for persons who are interested to be recruited into the nation’s security agencies.
The Ghana Immigration Service, demands that the minimum height should be 1.73 metres (5ft 8inch) for Males and 1.63 metres (5ft 4inch) for Females.
For the Ghana Armed Forces, interested persons must be of a minimum height of 1.68m (5’6”) for males and 1.60m (5? 4”) for females.
The Police Service has a minimum height requirement of 5 feet 8 inches [173cm] tall for males, and 5 feet 4 inches [163] for females.
-Starrfmonline