Defence Minister Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah today announced an ambitious plan to recruit Twelve Thousand (12,000) personnel into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) over the next three and a half years.
The Minister made the announcement when he took his turn at the Government #AccountabilitySeries, where he restated the government’s commitment to a fair and equitable recruitment process.
New recruitment guidelines, prioritising merit and set to ensure even distribution across all regions of the country, will be made public by August 2025.
Complementing the GAF expansion, the Minister also announced the upcoming launch of the National Service Emergency Response Readiness Programme. This innovative initiative will offer military training to Ten Thousand (10,000) National Service volunteers, commencing August 2025.
While participation in the National Service Emergency Response Readiness Programme is optional, Dr. Omane Boamah strongly encouraged eligible young Ghanaians to seize this unique opportunity to develop critical skills, discipline, and contribute to national preparedness.
The Minister provided updates on investigations into past recruitment scams. He reiterated President John Dramani Mahama’s directive that joining the Ghana Armed Forces will be strictly based on merit, not financial inducement.
The Minister disclosed key findings from ongoing audits and investigations:
– Investigations revealed that 34 trainees from Regular Career Course (RCC) 64, despite initially breaching enlistment procedures, were pardoned after completing a year of rigorous training.
– A total of 210 individuals across Regular Career Course (RCC) 64, RCC 65, and Short Service Commission (SSC) 62 were identified as having failed to meet essential eligibility criteria.
– The Minister confirmed that no new recruitment exercise for soldiers (non-officers) has taken place since October 2021.
– The Army Recruits Training School (ARTS) has not trained personnel for the past 17 months, and an audit further uncovered that 2,872 potential Army recruits are currently awaiting training. The Ministry is actively addressing these issues to ensure timely induction and training for qualified individuals.
The Minister for Defence warned the public against engaging with fraudsters and scammers who demand money for enlistment. All official recruitment procedures will be transparent and announced publicly through legitimate government channels.
