Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak has announced that government will not open any fresh recruitment applications into Ghana’s security services in 2027.
He told Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, that the recruitment portal will stay closed for the whole of next year.
The minister said the decision follows instructions from President John Dramani Mahama. Instead of taking new applications, the security services will pick recruits from an existing list of applicants who passed every stage of the process but could not be admitted for training because of limited space.
“Next year, there will be no new applicants,” Mr Muntaka told the committee. “We will keep picking from the list until we exhaust it before another application will be allowed.”
The announcement is a major update for thousands of young Ghanaians who have been preparing to apply in the next recruitment cycle, as well as those who passed the last exercise and are still waiting to be called for training.
No new security services recruitment applications in 2027
According to the minister, the online application portal will not be opened in 2027 at all. “We are not going to open the portal based on the President’s instructions,” he said.
Fresh applications will only be accepted once the current list of qualified applicants has been fully used up. The minister did not give a date for when that is expected to happen.
Who will be picked from the security services backlog
Priority will go to applicants who completed the full process and met all the requirements but were left out because training schools did not have enough room.
“Those who have already applied, gone through and passed the process” but for whom “space didn’t allow are the ones we will pick,” Mr Muntaka explained.
The minister did not disclose how many qualified applicants are currently on the waiting list, how many training places are available, or which specific agencies will draw from the list first.
How the last security services recruitment was run
The last nationwide exercise for the Interior Ministry’s services opened on November 17, 2025, through the Centralised Services E-Recruitment Portal (C-SERP). Here is how that cycle ran:
- Agencies covered: Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service and Ghana Prisons Service
- Application window: November 17 to December 19, 2025
- Access: Vouchers bought via a USSD short code or at GCB Bank branches
- Phase Two (documentation and body inspection): January 12 to February 4, 2026, starting with the Police Service
- 2027 cycle: No portal, no new applications – selection from the existing pool only
GhanaTrends earlier reported on what the 2025 security services recruitment meant for applicants in 2026, including those retained for later intake.
No Security Services Recruitment in 2027: Muntaka Says Portal Stays Shut Until Backlog Is Cleared [Related Video]
Forged WASSCE results and dismissals in training
The freeze comes weeks after the minister revealed problems with some recruits already in training. On September 9, 2026, he said several recruits had been dismissed after WAEC verification found their WASSCE results had been forged or altered.
He said those found with fake results would be placed on a “red list” barring them from joining any security service in future. At least 10 others were dismissed for secretly keeping mobile phones during training, he said at the time.
What the 2027 recruitment freeze means for applicants
For applicants who passed the last exercise but were not called, the announcement offers some hope. Government says they will be the only people picked until the list runs out.
For new school leavers and first-time applicants, it means waiting at least until 2028 or later before they can apply through the portal. They should be wary of anyone claiming to sell recruitment forms or “protocol” slots in 2027, since the minister has said the portal will not open.
Applicants on the waiting list should keep their documents, including their application summary report, Ghana Card and certificates, ready in case they are called.
What happens next
The security services are expected to continue drawing from the existing pool as training space becomes available. Official updates on recruitment are typically published by the Ministry of the Interior and the individual services.
A new application window will only be announced once the backlog is cleared.
Summary of Facts
- No new security services recruitment applications will be accepted in 2027.
- Announced by Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak on October 20, 2026.
- Made before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.
- Decision based on instructions from President John Mahama.
- Qualified applicants left out due to limited training space will be picked first.
- The portal reopens only after the existing list is exhausted.
- No figure was given for the size of the backlog.
FAQs on the story: No Security Services Recruitment in 2027: Muntaka Says Portal Stays Shut Until Backlog Is Cleared
Will there be security services recruitment in Ghana in 2027?
No. Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak says no new applications will be taken in 2027, and the recruitment portal will stay closed throughout the year.
Who will be recruited into the security services in 2027?
Only applicants who already applied, passed all stages and met the requirements but were not admitted for training because of limited space will be picked.
When will the security services recruitment portal open again?
The minister did not give a date. He said applications will reopen only after the existing list of qualified applicants has been exhausted.
Government’s decision to keep the security services recruitment portal shut in 2027 shifts the focus to clearing a backlog of qualified applicants who missed out on training places. While it brings relief to those already on the waiting list, first-time applicants will have to wait longer, with no date yet for the next application window.
