Defence Minister justifies suspension of recruitment

Frontpage, June 11. 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Minister of Defence,General J.H. Smith (retd), yesterday justified the action of the Military High Command in suspending the 2008 recruitment exercise into the Ghana Armed Forces.
Answering questions on the floor of Parliament in Accra, Gen. Smith explained that the action had to be taken after investigations had confirmed persistent complaints by the general public over anomalies in the exercise.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Peter Blay nullified the 2008 enlistment into the Ghana Armed Forces in a letter issued to all the service commanders.
Consequently, the letters of enlistment and recruitment offered to the 1,200 would-be soldiers in February 2008, and others who had been prepared for military training, were revoked.
Gen Smith said investigations conducted after the complaints confirmed serious anomalies that flawed the well laid down recruitment procedures in the 2008 enlistment exercise.
He said the Ghana Armed Forces commenced the 2008 general recruitment exercise on March 10, 2008 and at the end of the initial screening, 798 applicants were shortlisted for a further screening exercise in Accra.
The Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North, Major Derek Yaw Oduro (retd) , had enquired from the minister about the fate of the 420 potential army recruits whose training had been suspended.
According to the minister, the subsequent screening exercise resulted in the selection of 420 applicants to undergo a six-month training at the Army Recruit Training School (ARTS) at Shai Hills, from January 31, 2009.
He said following persistent complaints, a board of inquiry was set up and from the 420 selected, only 228 were detected to have passed through all stages of the recruitment exercise while the names of the remaining 192 were, as he put it, “illegally inserted.”
Gen. Smith stated that the Military High Command had to accept the recommendation to suspend the recruitment of all the 420 applicants for the training.
He said the other reason for the suspension of the exercise was based on a routine visit to the garrison, which revealed that “the ARTS was so inadequate that it would end up corrupting our final products,” adding that recruitment funding would therefore be used to improve physical conditions in the training school.
“Madam Speaker, I would like to say that the training of the 420 had to be suspended in good faith in order to preserve the security and safety on the citizens of the state,” he added.
The minister said the enlistment processes were being reviewed to ensure that the situation was never repeated, adding that as soon as the anomalies were rectified, a fresh recruitment exercise would be undertaken.
Gen. Smith gave the assurance that those affected applicants might re-apply when the exercise resumed.
In an answer to a subsequent question, the minister stated that investigations were ongoing and those found to be responsible for the insertion of the names of the 192 people would be dealt with.
On what remedies were available for the 228 applicants, Gen. Smith explained that the military did not owe them anything, since it was not automatic that their applications would be accepted for enlistment.