Frustration is mounting among many young Ghanaians who applied for the ongoing recruitment exercise by the Ghana Police Service, with some applicants citing the high cost of meeting application requirements as a major setback after failing to secure positions.
One prospective recruit, who spoke anonymously to AsaasePa Radio, said she spent nearly GH¢2,000 to obtain required documents before submitting her application.
According to her, the expenses included retrieving missing educational certificates, correcting name discrepancies through gazetting, and obtaining her national service certificate.
“I bought the forms because I always wanted to be a police officer,” she said. “At some point, I had to go to WAEC to get my BECE certificate, then have my name gazetted because of errors. It was hectic, and I spent a lot of money.”
The applicant also raised concerns about the testing process, explaining that she expected an in-person aptitude test but instead encountered an online assessment.
She claimed some questions in the test appeared unrelated to security services and said technical issues, including network challenges and facial verification requirements, made the process even more difficult.
“Some of the questions weren’t linked to the security service. Some were Japanese questions,” she said, adding that many of her friends who applied were also unsuccessful.
Applicants do not immediately see their results after completing the test, she noted, saying candidates are later informed if they were unsuccessful.
The recruitment exercise has attracted a large number of applicants across the country, but officials say only a limited number of positions are available due to budgetary constraints.
Observers say the situation reflects broader concerns about youth unemployment and the intense competition for public sector jobs in Ghana.
