Rev. Ntim Fordjour
The Minority in Parliament has criticised proposals by some Majority Members of Parliament (MPs) calling for an increase in the enlistment age into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), describing it as an attempt to smuggle “overage party foot soldiers” into the military.
The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee and New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, said the suggestion was a “misconceived and misguided populist agenda” that would undermine professionalism in the security services.
Reacting to public statements by Sam Nartey George, MP for Ningo-Prampram and Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, and Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, MP for South Dayi and Majority Chief Whip, Rev. Fordjour declared, “We will resist every attempt by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to load their overage foot soldiers into the Ghana Armed Forces.”
“The Armed Forces is not a dumping ground for overage NDC foot soldiers. It is extremely backward and dangerous to force unqualified people into the military as a reward for party patronage,” he asserted.
He further cautioned NDC leadership, including Cabinet Ministers and parliamentary leaders, against what he called “undue interference” in the ongoing recruitment exercise by the Ghana Armed Forces, which he said must remain credible and professional.
His comments come after Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, in a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), compared Ghana’s military recruitment age limits to those of other countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America.
According to Mr. Dafeamekpor, while the country’s upper age limit for enlistment is currently below 30, many nations allow recruits up to 35 years or older.
He cited examples such as Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, and Togo, where maximum enlistment ages range between 30 and 35 years, and others like Germany, Australia, and the United States, where limits extend even higher.
“So, in Ghana, we can extend our age limit to say 35 years or even 40 years depending on medical fitness and non-combatant roles. We need new ways of doing things,” MP Dafeamekpor suggested.
Echoing a similar sentiment, Sam George argued on Facebook that many Ghanaians in their thirties remain physically fit and mentally capable of serving the nation, and should not be excluded from enlistment based solely on age.
“I honestly believe it is time for our beloved nation to re-examine the maximum age for enlistment into our military services,” he wrote.
“There are people in their 30s who are physically fit and sound enough to serve. We must not deny them this opportunity simply because of their age. An upper limit of 35 years would serve our young people better,” he added.
However, Rev. Ntim Fordjour dismissed the call as politically motivated, warning that any attempt to alter the recruitment standards for partisan gain would be met with firm resistance from the Minority.
He insisted that recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces must remain strictly merit-based, transparent, and insulated from political interference to safeguard national security and the integrity of the institution.
By Ernest Kofi Adu