Ghana dismisses at least 10 security recruits over phone ban violations, minister says

Dismissals over phone ban

Ghana's Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, has disclosed that at least 10 recruits have been dismissed from the country's security services training schools for violating a directive that prohibits the use of mobile phones during training. The minister said the affected recruits were found to have secretly kept phones after being required to surrender their devices upon arriving at the training institutions.

Speaking during a visit to Sakafiya Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi, Muntaka Mubarak said the dismissals were part of efforts to enforce discipline and ensure recruits comply with the rules governing their training. He described the dismissals as a response to deliberate breaches of institutional rules.

"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," the minister said.

"Some decided to hide their phones and in the night, they were making calls. Some of them were caught. At least, I have been written to that at least about 10 students have been dismissed from training school for holding phones."

Recruitment competition

Muntaka Mubarak used the occasion to highlight the scale of the latest recruitment exercise, which saw more than half a million people apply for positions in the security services. Only about 10,000 applicants were eventually selected for training, making the process highly competitive—an acceptance rate of less than 2%.

The minister said the large number of applicants demonstrates significant interest among young Ghanaians in joining the security services. He noted that successful applicants are expected to understand that gaining admission into a training institution comes with responsibilities, including strict adherence to institutional rules.

He expressed concern about recruits who attempted to circumvent regulations after securing their places, arguing that compliance with institutional rules is a fundamental obligation, not an optional expectation.

Related development

The Deputy Minister for Defence, Brogya Genfi, said applicants who failed the Ghana Armed Forces 2025/2026 medical screening due to curable conditions will be invited for a free medical review at a later date.