NDC’s “Father for All” Attitude Leaves Grassroots Angry After Security Jobs Mass Disqualification

Supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the grassroots level have expressed growing frustration following the mass disqualification of applicants in the ongoing recruitment exercise into Ghana’s security services, a process reportedly aided by artificial intelligence (AI).

The development has sparked concern among party members across several constituencies, with many claiming the decision has sidelined committed grassroots activists and relatives who supported the party’s activities and sacrificed for its return to power.

They argue that the situation contrasts sharply with the approach adopted by the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, which they claim managed similar recruitment exercises in a manner that largely benefited many of their loyalists and supporters.

Party insiders warn that the development could breed disaffection within the party’s support base if the concerns are not addressed promptly.

According to sources within the party, the leadership is expected to engage stakeholders in the coming days to address the grievances and clarify the processes involved in the recruitment exercise.

Some senior party and government officials who are reportedly unhappy with the development have also called for a refund of application fees paid by applicants who were unsuccessful.

Deputy General Secretary of the NDC and deputy director of operations at the presidency, Mustapha Gbande, has publicly supported that position.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, he stated that it would be fair for all security agencies to refund application fees to unsuccessful applicants.

“I honestly think in fairness all security agencies must refund application fees paid by all unsuccessful applicants in the ongoing recruitment exercise,” he wrote.

The controversy comes at a time when the NDC has consistently projected itself as a “father for all” political party that promotes inclusiveness devoid of partisanship anytime the party in government.

The mass disqualification of the applicants, largely the grassroots have fuel tension among the rank and file with many publicly pouring out their frustrations – a development that is causing significant embarrassment to the government and eroding its goodwill.

However, the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has defended the process, stating that the approach had the endorsement of the presidency.

Speaking to journalists after parliamentary proceedings on Wednesday, March 11, the minister explained that although about 105,000 applicants have qualified to proceed to the medical stage of the recruitment exercise, only 5,000 positions are currently available across the security agencies.

According to him, the large number of qualified candidates resulted from the online aptitude tests conducted as part of the recruitment process.

“We still have 105,000 who have qualified for medicals. In reality, the total number we can take after medicals is 5,000, so we still face a huge challenge,” he said.

Mr Mohammed-Mubarak urged applicants who may not be selected in the current intake to remain patient, assuring them that the government intends to consider them in the next phase of recruitment.

He indicated that additional opportunities are expected in 2026 once the country exits its programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“But the President has instructed that those who qualify and pass medicals, let’s keep their data. This is the first phase. The current recruitment is for 2025. Hopefully, when we are out of the IMF programme, we will conduct the 2026 recruitment and draw from the same pool of applicants,” he said.

The minister added that the government remains committed to expanding opportunities for the youth and will work to absorb more qualified applicants into the security services once fiscal conditions improve.