The Ministry of the Interior has revealed that more than 6,000 applicants were disqualified during the medical screening stage of the ongoing recruitment exercise for Ghana’s security services.
Speaking on Saturday, May 23, 2026, the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, disclosed that over 100,000 applicants underwent medical examinations as part of the recruitment process.
According to the minister, this year’s screening process was expanded beyond the usual physical and laboratory examinations to include drug testing and mental health assessments due to growing concerns about the wellbeing and conduct of personnel within the security services.
“Because of the large numbers, and because of what we have observed within the services, we introduced additional checks including mental health assessments and drug tests,” he stated.
Mr. Mubarak revealed that more than 4,000 applicants failed the drug tests, while approximately 2,000 others were disqualified following mental health assessments.
The disclosure has since sparked public debate over whether such sensitive figures should have been made public.
Speaking on Ahotor Adekyee Mu Nsem with Citizen Kofi Owusu on Monday, May 25, 2026, security consultant Richard Kumadoe said the development reflects a worrying trend already observed during recent military recruitment medical screenings.
“If it’s not the same applicants, then the issue of drug abuse has surfaced again. As a nation, we need public education and mental health awareness creation. If your youth are being destroyed by drugs, you will have a problem,” he said.
Mr. Kumadoe warned that increasing levels of drug abuse and gambling addiction among young people could negatively affect the country’s future workforce and national development. He particularly pointed to growing gambling habits among university students as an emerging mental health concern.
He called for a nationwide public education campaign involving homes, churches, schools, and the media, similar to cybersecurity awareness campaigns conducted across the country.
“The media has been very helpful because the NCCA and the Department of Information don’t have budgets. Maybe we need to advertise more through the media and launch a national campaign starting in October,” he suggested.
On the issue of publicly disclosing the disqualification figures, Mr. Kumadoe argued that some of the information released by the Interior Minister was unnecessary for public consumption.
“Most of the things the Minister put out there were not necessarily for public release. Talking about things the police use to curb crime on the highway wasn’t necessary either,” he stated.
He further suggested that applicants who fail medical screenings should be provided with detailed health reports to help them and their families seek medical attention and counselling where necessary, similar to practices within the military.
Mr. Kumadoe also questioned why the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and Ghana Prisons Service were conducting recruitment exercises simultaneously rather than separately.
He cautioned that recruiting large numbers annually without addressing procedural concerns could create long-term challenges within the security services.
“If every year you employ 10,000 people, in four years that’s 40,000. If the procedures are problematic, it will create problems. One key issue that leads to mental health challenges is harsh rejection. Disqualifying people harshly adds to their mental health burden,” he explained.
Mr. Kumadoe concluded that communication surrounding the recruitment process and the release of sensitive information could have been handled more carefully.
Story by Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah