By:Yesmeen Abubakar Tetteh.
The Majority in Parliament has dismissed claims by the Minority that they have been given slots to recruit NPP footsoldiers into the security agencies. According to the NPP MPs, these accusations are attempts by the NDC to inflame tensions ahead of the 2024 election.
Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson alleged on Monday, that each NPP Parliamentary Candidate and Member of Parliament had been given 30 slots to fill in the security agencies.
“The NDC Minority can authoritatively state that not long ago, the NPP government again illegally and fraudulently has given out 30 slots to all NPP parliamentary candidates across the country for recruitment into the security services,” he alleged.
But addressing members of the Parliamentary Press Corps, Deputy Majority Leader Patricia Appiagyei described the claims as baseless and preposterous.
She warned the NDC against making unfounded claims that could destabilize the country’s peace and security.
“We urge the Minority to refrain from spreading misinformation and to respect the intelligence of the Ghanaian public. Such tactics are beneath the dignity of our democratic processes and could potentially endanger the peace and security of our nation.”
The Asokwa MP also pointed out that the security forces traditionally accommodate 1000 to 1200 recruits annually, making it impossible to absorb 8000 recruits as suggested by the Minority.
“It is essential to clarify emphatically that no parliamentary candidate or Member of Parliament has been allocated any recruitment slots into any of our security services. These claims are not only false but are a desperate attempt by the Minority to incite public disfavor against the government as we approach the 2024 general elections.”
“The Minority’s assertion that 276 NPP parliamentary candidates, including 138 sitting MPs, have each been given 30 recruitment slots is mathematically and administratively ludicrous. To suggest that 8,250 new recruits could be absorbed into our security forces, in a system that traditionally accommodates between 1,000 to 1,200 recruits annually, shows a profound misunderstanding of the operational and financial frameworks of our security institutions.”
“The claims by Dr Cassiel Ato Forson are a deliberate distortion of reality and a malicious fabrication aimed at undermining the integrity of the government. Such allegations serve only to provoke unwarranted tension and foster an environment of mistrust and political rivalry that our country does not need,” she pointed out.
Majority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh suggested that the NDC’s allegations might indicate that similar practices occurred under their administration.
