President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to introduce a regionally balanced recruitment quota system for Ghana’s security services, aiming to ensure that every part of the country has a fair opportunity to serve and be represented in the nation’s defence and law enforcement institutions.
The policy, which is part of Mahama’s broader agenda to promote equity and national unity, is expected to transform the current recruitment process, which has long faced criticism for perceived political bias and regional disparities.
“Every region will receive a recruitment quota to give people across Ghana the opportunity to serve in our country’s security services,” President Mahama.
Under the proposed system, each of Ghana’s 16 regions would be allocated a specific number of recruitment slots, allowing qualified individuals from across the country, regardless of their political affiliations or connections to join agencies such as the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Armed Forces, Immigration Service, Prisons Service, and the Ghana Fire Service.
For years, young Ghanaians in remote and underserved areas have lamented being sidelined during recruitment exercises. Mahama’s pledge is seen as a direct response to these concerns, with the goal of building a more inclusive and nationally representative security apparatus.
Security analysts and civil society organisations have welcomed the initiative, calling it a necessary step toward fairness, national cohesion, and trust-building between citizens and state institutions.
Mahama assured Ghanaians that while the quotas would be regional, merit and qualification would remain key criteria in the recruitment process. The move, he explained, is not about lowering standards but expanding access.
