Henry Osei Akoto, a leading member of the National Democratic Congress, has told the party’s National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, that he should forget about his presidential ambitions if that is how he is going to address party members.
His comments follow Johnson Asiedu Nketiah that if all 500,000 applicants are recruited into the police, where will they find thieves to arrest?
Speaking to party supporters in Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region, Asiedu Nketia stated, “500,000, it is not 5000, 500,000 people want to join the Police. If you look at the 500,000 applicants and all are recruited into the police, where will they find thieves to even arrest? We all have become police; who are we going to arrest?”.
“If you are the president, and 500,000 people want to join the police, what are you going to do? Police recruitment is not about writing letters; then you are done. When they are recruited, we must look for money to pay them and also where they will work”.
Henry Osei Akoto, reacting to the NDC National Chairman, described it as calling these people thieves and labelled his comments as unbelievable.
Speaking to the media, Henry Osei Akoto stated, “First of all, is the chairman calling these people thieves? How unbelievable! After watching that video of Chairman Asiedu Nketiah speaking to the people gathered there, I must say I was very disappointed in him. The reason I say this is because these are the same people we all went to campaign to vigorously before the 2024 general elections. We asked them to vote for the party, and we all know the effort they put in.
“They struggled, they worked hard, and they toiled for the party. Many of them even spent their own money. They are tired now, and today they are simply asking that they be given some kind of job from the government,” he stated.
He further added, “What I’m saying is that if today they are asking to be given something small, it’s understandable. Some of them have applied for security jobs, such as positions in Immigration or the Police Service, but they are not getting anything.
“There is a proper way to communicate with them about these things. However, the way Chairman Asiedu Nketiah is going about it is not good at all. Personally, I am not happy about it. The approach he took was very bad. If this is how he intends to handle matters, then he should forget about his presidential ambitions because hese are the same people who will eventually vote for him, so if this is the attitude he is going to show them, then he should reconsider those ambitions,” he added.
Henry Osei Akoto added, “Every day, some of us receive no fewer than 50 or 60 phone calls from people asking about jobs. I know he and other party communicators are also receiving similar calls. Many party supporters are still at home and don’t know what to do.
“We are doing our best to ensure their names are submitted and considered, because ultimately it is the government that will make the final decisions. But speaking to the grassroots the way he did is very distressing and discouraging,” he stated.
“I believe he needs to come out again and apologize to the people. After that, we can move forward. But as things stand, if this is how he plans to deal with the grassroots, then it is not good at all.
“When we first came to power, there were some statements he made that I tried to understand and overlook. But after watching that video several times, I can confidently say that what he said was not good. It was very bad, especially if this is how he intends to treat the grassroots of the party, then he should forget about his presidential ambitions,” he added.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has directed an increase in security services recruitment from 5000 to 10,000 yearly.
A statement from the presidency dated Monday, March 16, revealed the directive comes following a high-level meeting with heads of the various agencies.
President Mahama’s directives will see the number of men and women recruited to the various security agencies increased from twenty thousand (20,000) to forty thousand (40,000) over four years.
In a Presidency communication shared by signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, read, “President John Dramani Mahama has held a high-level meeting with the Heads of Security Agencies, Minister for the Interior and Acting Minister for Defence on the ongoing security services recruitment process.
Following a briefing on the process, the President has directed that the number of men and women to be recruited to the various security agencies should be increased from twenty thousand (20,000) to forty thousand (40,000) over a four-year period.
The President has also directed the Heads of the Security Agencies to ensure transparency and fairness in the recruitment process.
Present at the meeting were the Chief of Staff, Secretary to the President, Senior Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs, National Security Coordinator, Inspector General of Police, Director General Prisons, Director General Fire Service, Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service and the Director General of the Narcotics Control Commission”.