The Minister of Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, has defended the recent mass disqualification of applicants in the 2026 security services recruitment exercise, citing a critical need to ensure new recruits are mentally sound and professional.
Addressing a press briefing in Parliament following a public outcry, the Asawase legislator explained that the government is prioritizing quality to filter out “riff-raff” or unfit candidates.
He revealed that the security services are currently grappling with internal challenges related to personnel struggling with mental health and substance abuse.
”All of us know we want to get a professional police officer; we want to get a professional immigration officer.
We don’t just want any person to go in there,” the Minister stated. “I am sorry to say this, but we are having challenges with people with mental issues and drug issues in the service.
We are using these stringent measures to ensure we get the right people, even if it means many fall along the way.”
The March 2026 recruitment drive saw an unprecedented surge in interest, highlighting the competitive nature of the process.
Over 500,000 young people competed for only 5,000 available positions, resulting in the disqualification of hundreds of thousands.
While 105,000 applicants moved on to the medical stage, the vast majority were cut, causing frustration among those who initially saw “qualified” statuses on the application portal.
These disqualifications were based on failing the 65% passing score in aptitude tests, failing to meet physical or age requirements (such as being over 40 or medically unfit), and documentation errors.
With applicants paying GHS 220 per form, the mass cuts have sparked significant anger.
Many are now calling on the government to issue refunds to those who did not progress, arguing that the cost is too high for a “disqualified” outcome in a struggling economy.
By 1960news.com
