Patricia Appiagyei flanked by Frank Annoh Dompreh at the presser
The Majority in Parliament has dismissed as baseless allegations by its Minority counterpart that all New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidates have been assigned 30 slots apiece to select party loyalists and supporters to fill positions in the security services.
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader, made the allegations at a news conference on Monday, claiming that the government was conducting covert and illegal recruitment into the security services ahead of the December 7 elections.
However, in response to the claims, Deputy Majority Leader Patricia Appiagyei denounced them as a malicious fabrication designed to undermine the government’s integrity.
“The claims by Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson are a deliberate distortion of reality and a malicious fabrication aimed at undermining the integrity of the government.
“Such allegations serve only to provoke unwarranted tension and foster an environment of mistrust and political rivalry that our country does not need,” he indicated at a press briefing in Parliament yesterday.
She added, “First and foremost, it is essential to clarify emphatically that no parliamentary candidate or Member of Parliament has been allocated any recruitment slots into any of our security services.”
According to the Deputy Majority Leader, these claims are not only false but are a desperate attempt by the Minority to incite public disfavour against the government as the nation approaches the 2024 general election.
“The Minority’s assertion that 276 NPP parliamentary candidates, including 138 sitting MPs, have each been given 30 recruitment slots is mathematically and administratively ludicrous,” Madam Appiagyei posited.
The Deputy Majority Leader stated that suggesting that 8,250 new recruits could be absorbed into the security services, in a system that typically accommodates between 1,000 and 1,200 recruits per year, demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of the operational and financial frameworks of the country’s security institutions by the Minority.
According to her, Interior Minister Henry Quartey has outlined the government’s recruitment plan, which focuses on providing a second chance to eligible Ghanaians who previously applied but were not selected.
“This approach is not only fair but also thoughtful, avoiding unnecessary financial burdens on applicants by not reopening the recruitment process widely,” she pointed out.
The Majority urged its Minority counterpart to refrain from spreading misinformation and to respect the intelligence of the Ghanaian public.
“Such tactics are beneath the dignity of our democratic processes and could potentially endanger the peace and security of our nation.
She stated that the NPP government will not be swayed by these “groundless accusations” and will continue to work tirelessly to safeguard the safety and security of all Ghanaians.
“Let us move forward, not with falsehoods and fear, but with facts and faith in our democratic institutions,” she intimated.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House