The Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has denied claims that members of his caucus submitted names for recruitment into various security agencies.
Dr. Forson refuted the allegations allegedly made by the Interior Minister, Henry Quartey, describing them as baseless and deceitful.
He asserted that the minister’s claims are an attempt to counter his own revelations about the government’s clandestine and illegal recruitment into the security services ahead of the December elections.
According to Dr. Forson, the Ayawaso Central MP is trying to divert attention from the substantive issues at hand.
He has therefore challenged his parliamentary colleague to name the NDC MPs who allegedly submitted names for recruitment, as well as the names of those individuals.
“I find the recent statements by the Interior Minister, Henry Quartey, both alarming and baseless. His insinuation that members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have participated in improper recruitment practices without providing any evidence is a clear attempt to divert attention from the substantive issues at hand.”
I challenge the Interior Minister to name the individuals he claims were brought forward by NDC MPs for recruitment. Let us move away from rhetoric and towards accountability. If the Minister cannot provide these names, then his statements must be seen for what they are: an attempt to distract from the substantive concerns we have raised,” he stated.
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader, alleged during a news conference on Monday, May 20, that all NPP Parliamentary candidates have been allocated 30 slots each to select NPP loyalists and supporters to fill positions within the security services, including the police and army.
Dr Forson urged President Akufo-Addo and the government to halt what he described as undemocratic behaviour.
He emphasised the need for transparency and fairness in recruitment processes within the security sector.
In response to these allegations, Mr. Quartey addressed the matter during an interview, dismissing the Minority’s claims as baseless and regrettable.
“It is rather unfortunate that MPs and of course a leader, Minority Leader and a former deputy minister of Interior could actually spew this falsehood into the public. MPs currently are about 137…it cannot be possible, it is not and it cannot be possible. I am rather disappointed in this approach…Yes, we are recruiting but it is not a secret recruitment. We haven’t even started. The agencies are going to send the eligibility criteria. I am sure by this week they will do that.”
“What we are saying rather is that look in the last couple of years people have gone to buy forms. And for some reasons, they could not gain admission into the security and intelligence agencies. So we thought it wise that we don’t have to advertise anymore for people to continuously pay monies because you have a certain number of people that per the clearance you have to recruit.”
“But I want to say on authority and I want to say again on authority that giving 30 slots to MPs is false. It is not true. It has never happened before and I am surprised that they want to go on this tangent,” he stated.