Dr. Dominic Ayine, Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga East, has emphasized the need to return to merit-based recruitment practices, which he believes prevailed before the New Patriotic Party (NPP) came to power in 2017.
“We need to go back to the best practices that prevailed prior to the NPP’s assumption of power in 2017.”
He stated that this view represents not only his opinion but also that of the minority caucus in Parliament.
“Usually, by way of convention, once the ranking member on the matter has taken a position with his committee members, the entire caucus follows that position. So I will say that this is our caucus position on this matter.”
Dr. Ayine highlighted a shift from previous administrations—under Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills, and John Dramani Mahama—where recruitment was based on merit, with advertisements for positions and limited protocol.
“There was protocol, but protocol was severely limited. And if they provided protocol, they insisted that the person should be qualified.”
He criticized the current system for lacking transparency, alleging that recruitment slots are being sold and background checks are no longer properly conducted. This, he warned, poses a risk of allowing unqualified or even criminal individuals into the security services. “Background character checks are no longer conducted. So we risk recruiting even criminals into the police service.”
The MP stressed the importance of reinstating merit-based recruitment to ensure that qualified candidates are selected while also acknowledging the need to support young people. He assured that while the party will work to recruit its own members, it is crucial to maintain standards and balance in the process.
“We’ll do the right things, but we also need to balance the scale. We’ll recruit our people. I am telling you, we’ll recruit our people. Once we have power, we’ll recruit our people,” he emphasized.
Source: A1Radioonline.com | 101.1MHz | Gifty Eyram Kudiabor | Ghana
