Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, the Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for South Dayi, has threatened legal action against the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) if they fail to review the maximum age requirement for enlistment.
According to Dafeamekpor, the current age cap should be aligned with the National Youth Authority Act, 2016 (Act 939).
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, October 9, 2025, Dafeamekpor argued, “I intend to test this matter because, you see, we need to test systems to let systems work. And when systems are supposed to work, they must work within the existing legal framework. We must all obey the law”.
“I won’t have any problem if the armed forces say that the person between the ages of 15 years and 35 years is eligible to apply, but subject to a medical fitness test, because in a lot of countries, persons below 18 years are eligible to be recruited into the army, subject to parental consent,” he noted.
He further explained, “So this matter must be tested; if the army resists this call, it may leave me with no option but to seek a remedy in the judicial forum. Our army is constitutionally established and given effect to it under Article 102 by Parliament, and subsequently with legislation such as the National Youth Authority Act, which is the law that governs the youth bracket of this country, whether the army can continue to conduct its business without recourse to this laid down legislation”.
Meanwhile, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, has told Sam George and Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor to go and read and stop the uninformed populist agenda.
In a post on a social media page, Ntim Fordjour wrote, “Hon Dafeamekpor and those who want to make Ghana Armed Forces dumping grounds for unqualified aged NDC foot soldiers, be guided.
Go and read and stop your uninformed populist agenda because it has woefully backfired. Otherwise, if the intention is to turn your unqualified party footsoldiers against your government, that’s your own cup of tea.
If your Principals sent you to test the waters, by now they’ve picked the reaction that Ghana will resist your vile political attempt to lower GAF recruitment standards”.
He highlighted that if Dafeamekpor and Sam George only read and paid attention to GAF recruitment, they would realise that qualified persons 30-35 years old are eligible to apply for enlistment.
The MP added, “If you only read and paid attention to GAF recruitment and enlistment requirements, you would have realised that qualified persons 30-35 years old are eligible to apply for enlistment into relevant regiments and brigades in Ghana. This practice has been there for years – has nothing to do with your populist calls.
If only you read, you would discover in the Section F of the Armed Forces advertisement published, that the age limit is 30yrs for that particular section of recruits. Check the various age limits. This your one age fits all agenda is backward and dangerous!
Add to your reading the median age of Ghana, and you will know it is 21.3 years, if you understand what that means”.
Ntim Fordjour had earlier told Sam George and Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor that the Ghana Armed Forces is not a dumping ground for overage NDC foot soldiers.
He noted that the two NDC MPs’ calls for a review age restriction for military enlistment as an attempt to allow average NDC foot soldiers into the military.
According to him, the NPP will resist every attempt by the NDC to load their overage foot soldiers into the Ghana Armed Forces.
In a social media post, Rev Ntim Fordjour wrote, “Hon Sam George and Hon Dafeamekpor’s call for unqualified overage NDC foot soldiers into the military is a misconceived and misguided populist agenda.
We will resist every attempt by NDC to load their overage foot soldiers into Ghana Armed Forces. Ghana Armed Forces is not a dumping ground for overage NDC foot soldiers”.
Ntim Fordjour added, “NDC Cabinet Ministers and Parliamentary Leadership must be made to know that it is extremely backward and dangerous to force unqualified people into the military as a reward for party patronage”.
He further cautioned the NDC government to stop interfering in the professional recruitment process of GAF.
“Stop the undue interference in the creditable and professional recruitment process underway by the Ghana Armed Forces”, he concluded.