A former Municipal Chief Executive for the Amenfi East, Frederick Korankye, has expressed disappointment in Civil Society Organisations, the clergy and the media over what he describes as their silence on alleged irregularities in the government’s security services recruitment process and the recent reduction in cocoa prices.
Speaking in an interviewwith 3news on March 12, the former MCE said he is shocked that many institutions expected to defend the interests of the public have remained quiet over what he termed a “security recruitment scam” and the growing hardship facing cocoa farmers across the country.
Mr Korankye, who previously served under the government of the New Patriotic Party, accused the current administration led by the National Democratic Congress of failing to ensure transparency in the recruitment of personnel into the country’s security agencies.
According to him, thousands of young people purchased recruitment forms with the hope of securing employment, yet only a small fraction of applicants were eventually selected.
He questioned why the government would allegedly recruit only about five percent of applicants who purchased the forms, describing the situation as unfair to the many young people who invested their time and resources in the process.
He further indicated that many applicants had to wake up very early and travel long distances to internet cafés to complete online aptitude tests, only to be disqualified later in the process.
“This situation has created frustration among the youth who invested their time and limited resources with the hope of joining the security services,” he lamented.
The former MCE also expressed concern about the reduction in cocoa prices, observing that the decision has negatively affected farmers in cocoa-growing communities across the country.
According to him, as both a farmer and a politician, he feels deeply worried about the situation, explaining that many farmers are struggling to maintain their farms due to financial difficulties.
He lamented that some cocoa beans on his own farm had begun to rot because he lacked the resources to purchase the necessary inputs to preserve them.
Mr Korankye cautioned that if the concerns of the youth and farmers continue to be ignored, frustration could build up among the population. He therefore called on the media, Civil Society Organisations and religious leaders to speak out on national issues affecting ordinary citizens.
According to him, the silence of some institutions is troubling, a situation he described as unhealthy for democracy and national development.
By Benjamin Aidoo
