Group slams government over exploitation of unemployed youth through security services recruitment fees

Rights Accountability Network, a human rights advocacy group, has expressed concern over the high number of Ghanaians who were charged security services recruitment fees but were not selected due to limited slots.

In a petition to the President Mahama copied to other institutions including CHRAJ, the group said public records indicate that about 500,000 unemployed Ghanaian youth paid and applied to be enlisted into the security services, which had only about 5000 slots available.

The group said with the state selling forms to over 500,000 "vulnerable youth, " knowing very well that only limited slots were available, the youth, the group noted, had been exploited.

The human rights group, therefore, petitioned President Mahama to order an audit into how much money was raised, and also to order a refund to all those who applied and could not be enlisted.

Expressing worry over the situation, the group said it is the responsibility of the state to provide jobs to millions of unemployed youth of the country, not to exploit them through such charges. Below is the full petition: on

Below is the full petition as submitted to President Mahama: