Asiedu Nketiah Vows to Scrap Security Recruitment Protocol and MPs’ Quota Under Mahama
National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has announced plans to abolish the protocol-based recruitment system in Ghana’s security services if the party returns to power.
Addressing supporters in Sekondi-Takoradi during his ongoing “Thank You Tour” of the Western Region, Asiedu Nketiah described the current recruitment model—introduced under the NPP administration—as unfair and exclusionary.
According to him, the system, which allows influential individuals and Members of Parliament to secure recruitment slots for applicants under a protocol arrangement, undermines merit and equal opportunity.
“There should be no recruitment protocol for the security services at all,” he stated. “President Mahama has made a bold promise to abolish this system and open recruitment to all qualified Ghanaians.”
He further disclosed that even the limited quota currently reserved for Members of Parliament would be cancelled under the proposed reforms.
The announcement signals a potential shift toward what the NDC describes as a more transparent, merit-based recruitment process within the military, police, fire service, immigration, and other security agencies.
The protocol system has long been a subject of public debate, with critics arguing that it creates unequal access and fuels perceptions of favoritism, while defenders claim it provides structured oversight in the recruitment process.
If implemented, the proposed policy change would significantly alter how personnel are enlisted into Ghana’s security services, placing the emphasis squarely on open competition and qualification standards rather than political endorsement.