Audit and refund security services recruitment fees charged thousands of unemployed youth - group to Prez Mahama

Human rights group Rights Accountability Network (RANA) has petitioned President Mahama to order an audit into the millions of Cedis raised through security services recruitment fees paid by thousands of job-seeking Ghanaian youth who failed to make the cut.

In a petition to the President copied to the media, the rights group said with over 500,000 young Ghanaians applying for about 5000 available slots, it meant each applicant stood just a one percent chance of being recruited and the government charging them recruitment fees, knowing that only limited spots were available, amounted to exploiting desperate unemployed Ghanaians seeking jobs.

The rights group, therefore, called on President Mahama to, apart from the audit, also refund payments to all who paid and were not selected.

"For many young Ghanaians, recruitment into the security services represents one of the few viable opportunities for stable employment. In this context, requiring applicants to pay fees to participate in a highly limited recruitment process places a significant financial burden on
individuals who are already economically vulnerable," the group said in its petition which was also copied to CHRAJ.

"While the State is not required to guarantee employment to all citizens, it bears a duty to
ensure that public recruitment processes are fair, transparent, and do not impose
disproportionate burdens on vulnerable population," the petition added.

Below is the full petition as submitted to President Mahama: