Scrap AI aptitude tests for security recruitment over massive system challenges – Afenyo-Markin tells govt

Minority Leader Osahen Alexander Afenyo Markin has called for the removal of artificial intelligence-based aptitude tests currently being used in the recruitment process for Ghana’s security services, citing widespread difficulties faced by applicants.

The Member of Parliament for Effutu said he and several other lawmakers have received numerous complaints from constituents who were unable to progress in the recruitment process after encountering challenges with the online testing system.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, Afenyo Markin urged the government to reconsider the system and adopt a more inclusive approach that accommodates applicants with limited digital skills.

“Mr Speaker, the military once introduced a system that allowed applicants to take the aptitude test directly. If possible, the process should be revised so that young men and women who are not well versed in ICT can take the test manually,” he said.

According to him, many applicants from rural areas struggle to navigate the online platform used for the examinations.

“I support AI and technology, but you cannot suddenly bring someone from Pusiga or Bunkurugu who has little knowledge of IT and expect them to write an aptitude test using AI. If they do not have the means, they automatically fail,” he noted.

Afenyo Markin stressed that the matter should not be viewed through a political lens but rather as a structural problem that requires immediate attention from the relevant authorities.

He also pointed out that several applicants are compelled to spend money at internet cafés to take the test, only to face technical issues that prevent them from completing the process.

“I believe this is a serious system challenge that the ministry must examine carefully because it is we, the Members of Parliament, who are receiving the complaints from the people,” he added.

He therefore appealed to the government to reassess the current recruitment method to ensure that the process remains fair, transparent and accessible to all qualified applicants across the country.