The Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, has given financial clearance for the recruitment of close to 12,000 people into the police, prisons, immigration and education services.

A total of 11,840 jobs are available to be filled.

The clearance covers the Ministry for the Interior, Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Education.

The financial clearance, communicated in six separate letters to the respective institutions, said the recruitments will take place on 1 August 2021.

Four of the letters were addressed to the Ministry for the Interior under whose wings the Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Immigration Service and Ghana Prisons Service fall.

One was addressed to the Ministry of Education and the other to the Ministry of National Security.

The letter to the Minister for the Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery, said the Ministry “is hereby granted financial clearance to enable the Comptroller-General of Ghana Immigration Service to recruit 2,000, the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service to recruit 2,000, Chief Fire Officer to recruit 2,000 and the Inspector-General of Police to recruit 5,000 personnel to augment the staffing position of the services”.

“The emoluments of the personnel should be charged against the Compensation of Employees vote of the Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Police Service, National Fire Service and Ghana Prisons Service, under the Ministry for the Interior in the 2021 Annual Estimates”, the clearance letter stated.

Regarding the National Security Ministry, the letter, dated 21 June 2021, granted financial clearance to enable the National Signals Bureau (NSB) to recruit additional 100 and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) to recruit 140 individuals to augment its workforce.

The emoluments of the personnel, the letter noted, “should be charged against the Compensation of Employees vote of the Ministry of National Security in the 2021 Annual Estimates”, adding: “The Hon. Minister of National Security is to ensure that the engaged staff have their documents processed in time and placed on the Mechanised Payroll early enough to enable the Controller and Accountant-General's Department effect payment of their salaries”.

With the Education Ministry, the letter, addressed to sector minister Yaw Osei Adutwum, said the Finance Minister has granted financial clearance to enable the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service to recruit 600 ICT coordinators for the service.

“Approval is also granted for their emoluments to be charged against the Compensation of Employees vote of Ministry of Education in the 2021 budget”.

“The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service is to ensure that the ICT coordinators have their documents processed in time and placed on the mechanised payroll early enough to enable the Controller and Accountant-General's Department effect payment”, the clearance letter to the Education Minister stated.

All the financial clearance directives to the three ministries will expire on the 31st of December 2021 and as such, the ministries are to ensure that the recruitment are carried out before the expiration date.