Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, has disclosed that at least 10 recruits have been dismissed from Ghana’s security services training schools for violating a ban on mobile phone use.
According to the Minister, the affected recruits secretly kept their mobile phones after reporting to the training institutions, despite being required to surrender their devices as part of the rules governing their training.
He said some of the recruits concealed their phones and used them to make calls at night, with those caught subsequently facing dismissal.
“At least, I have been written to that at least about 10 students have been dismissed from training school for holding phones,” Muntaka Mubarak said.
The Minister made the disclosure during an interaction with students of Sakafiya Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi, where he discussed the recruitment process into Ghana’s security services and the standards expected of prospective recruits.
He expressed concern about indiscipline among some recruits, warning that gaining admission into a security services training institution comes with the responsibility to obey strict institutional rules.
He explained that recruits are required to surrender their mobile phones upon arrival at training schools, but some had attempted to circumvent the directive by hiding their devices.
“It was so vigorous that over half a million people applied. We ended up taking only 10,000. Indiscipline, people got there and they were hiding their phones in their pillows.
“First, the moment you get to training school, they take all your phones. Some decided to hide their phones and in the night, they were making calls. Some of them were caught,” he said.
Muntaka Mubarak also disclosed that the latest recruitment exercise attracted more than half a million applicants seeking to join Ghana’s security services.
However, only about 10,000 applicants were eventually selected for training, highlighting the competitiveness of the process.
He said the high number of applications reflects the strong interest among young Ghanaians in pursuing careers in the country’s security services.
The Minister stressed that successful applicants must recognise that selection for training is not an entitlement and that recruits are expected to demonstrate discipline and comply with the rules of their respective institutions.
He said attempts by recruits to disregard established regulations could have serious consequences, including dismissal from training.