The government will not open the security services recruitment portal to new applicants in 2027, Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak has announced.
Instead, authorities intend to consider qualified candidates who successfully completed the screening and medical examinations during the 2025/2026 recruitment exercise but are still waiting to be called for training.
The decision affects applicants seeking to join the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service and Ghana Immigration Service.
The minister explained that any further recruitment would depend on the availability of financial clearance, which will determine how many candidates can be admitted for training.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak made the disclosure on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, when he appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) alongside heads of the various security agencies to discuss the 2025 Auditor-General’s reports.
He said the decision not to accept fresh applications next year followed a directive from the President.
“Next year, there will be no new applicants. We are not going to open the portal,” he told the committee.
Government considers recruiting 10,000 additional personnel
Although new applications will not be accepted in 2027, the minister indicated that efforts were underway to secure approval for another batch of recruits.
He said he was pushing for financial clearance to enable the government to recruit an additional 10,000 security personnel. However, he could not provide a definite date for the next training session or confirm how many applicants would eventually be selected.
During the committee proceedings, the chairperson questioned the ministry about the fate of applicants who had completed the recruitment process, received notifications and were still waiting at home for their training appointments.
She also raised concerns about financial clearances that are due to expire on December 31, citing the Ghana Immigration Service as an example.
In response, Mr Mohammed-Mubarak explained that although the government had obtained financial clearance to recruit 10,000 personnel, the number of candidates who successfully completed the selection process was higher than the available vacancies.
He added that personnel currently undergoing training were expected to complete their programmes by the end of December, potentially creating opportunities for another group of recruits.
However, the minister emphasised that financial limitations remained a major obstacle to expanding recruitment.
“Resources are not unlimited,” he said.
Police service faces significant staffing shortage
The Interior Minister also disclosed that the Ghana Police Service currently has approximately 50,000 personnel, far below its estimated requirement of between 70,000 and 80,000 officers.
According to him, even if the government approved the recruitment of an additional 20,000 or 30,000 officers, existing training facilities would not be able to accommodate all the recruits at once.
He explained that new personnel would therefore have to be recruited and trained in batches to match the capacity of the available facilities.
His comments suggest that the next recruitment exercise will depend on both the government’s ability to provide financial clearance and the capacity of the security agencies to train additional personnel.
Ministry to consider applicants who exceed the age limit
The committee chairperson also drew attention to the situation of applicants who had successfully completed the recruitment process but exceeded the prescribed age limit while waiting for their training appointments.
Responding to the concern, Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said the ministry would consider the issue when it arose.
He indicated that he would consult his team before deciding how to handle cases involving affected applicants.
The issue has become a source of concern for candidates who have waited for months after completing the required recruitment stages without receiving instructions to report for training.
Pregnant applicants may be considered in the next intake
The minister also addressed the situation of female applicants who became pregnant after passing their medical examinations but before receiving invitations to begin training.
He explained that the affected applicants had been advised to return home and deliver their babies before being considered for recruitment.
According to him, the women would be considered during the next recruitment intake.
The clarification offers some direction to applicants who have completed the necessary stages but have yet to proceed to training.
What the announcement means for applicants
With the recruitment portal expected to remain closed to new applicants throughout 2027, the government’s immediate focus will be on candidates from the 2025/2026 exercise who have already completed the required screening and medical examinations.
However, being among the successful candidates does not automatically guarantee immediate recruitment, as the next intake will depend on financial clearance, available vacancies and training capacity.
Applicants who are still waiting for their training appointments will therefore have to await further communication from the relevant security agencies regarding the next steps in the recruitment process.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar.