The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has announced plans to abolish the protocol system used in recruiting personnel into the security services and other public institutions.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah made the announcement while addressing party executives and supporters in Sekondi-Takoradi during his ongoing “Thank You Tour” of the Western Region, following the NDC’s victory in the 2024 general elections.
Speaking on the fourth day of the tour, which took him to the Effia, Kwesimintsim, Takoradi and Sekondi constituencies, the NDC Chairman urged party members to recognise and reward dedication and hard work at the grassroots level.
He appealed to delegates to retain constituency executives who played significant roles in securing the party’s electoral success, stressing the importance of discipline and commitment.
“Those who worked hard and diligently should be retained, but those who did otherwise should not be entertained in the party,” he said.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah also criticised the protocol-based recruitment system into the security services, describing it as unfair, exclusionary and lacking transparency. He said the system, which he attributed to the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, allowed recruitment slots to be shared among a few individuals without open competition.
“There should be no recruitment protocol for the security services at all. President Mahama has made a bold promise to abolish this system and open recruitment to all qualified Ghanaians,” he said, adding that even the limited quota currently allocated to Members of Parliament would be cancelled.
He explained that the decision forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s broader agenda to promote merit-based recruitment and ensure equal access to opportunities in public institutions without special privileges.
During the visit, traditional leaders in the area also raised development concerns with the NDC Chairman, including delays in the Takoradi Market Circle redevelopment project.
The Chief of Takoradi, Nana Obo Kojo Atta IV, appealed for urgent intervention to complete the project, noting that prolonged delays had adversely affected market women, especially those relocated from Jubilee Park.
He called for the swift completion of the market to allow traders to return to their original location and restore their livelihoods.
