Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Committee on Employment, Richard Quashigah has described as “fraudulent” the decision by Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to sell e-vouchers to persons who applied to join the Service.
At least 84,637 people have applied for 500 vacancies at GIS with the Service raking in GHC 4,231,850 from the sale of recruitment e-vouchers sold at GHC 50 each to applicants.
The GIS has been hit with a barrage of criticisms by a section of the public for making available several forms when they in fact knew there was limited slots for recruitment.
In the midst of accusations by some individuals that the GIS was extorting monies from the desperate unemployed youth, Head of Public Affairs, Superintendent Michael Amoako-Atta explained that the money would go into covering the costs incurred during the recruitment process, among other things.
“Today, for instance, we have rented the venues across the country and we are paying money for it. We are paying for hiring ambulances in case of emergencies, we are going to pay for the software we are using and other things that are going to happen along the line.”
“As I speak now, I don’t even know the percentage that will be coming to the GIS. What we are spending, we delve into our own IGF [Internally Generated Funds] to support the process until it is completed,” citifmonline.com quoted him to have said.
But speaking to GhanaWeb.com, Hon. Quashigah noted that the budget of GIS covers the recruitment process and as such, the vouchers should be given out for free.
The Member of Parliament for Keta unequivocally stated that the practice which has been going on for years was wrong and ought to stop.
“Why should we continue to take monies from these people who we need to work for this nation and for that matter, the good of the nation? When people normally try to find jobs, they don’t pay for the application letters they send to the various organisations which they are seeking employment… for a very long time we’ve been taking monies which I think is wrong,”
“These monies, when taken, are they well accounted for? The fact being that the Immigration Service like any other security agency in Ghana, has an annual budget and under that, they have a column for goods and services and definitely they know that recruitment is part of an activity they will carry out the year. Why do you turn around to take monies from vulnerable young people who are desperately looking for job opportunities?” he queried.
The displeased legislator further stated that even if it were legal for forms to be sold, applicants of last year’s exercise which was halted should have been engaged instead of selling new e-vouchers.
Failure on the part of the Service to do so, coupled with the fact that the budget of security agencies cover such exercises, according to him, amount to fraud.
“In 2016 the same Immigration Service advertised for young people to be recruited. At the time, they paid GHC 100 and along the line, the whole process was put on hold. These young people have not been recalled. What it means is that, they have lost their GHC 100 they paid to the Service as part of the recruitment. If for nothing at all, having decided to continue with the process, would it not have been prudent for the Immigration Service to go back to those original young and women who paid GHC100 at the time?
"Why start afresh and call for fresh payments? In effect, those who paid GHC 100 in 2016 have been defrauded. And I think that if their monies have not been refunded, possibly with interest, they should proceed to court. I’m willing to lead that charge on their behalf,” he said.
