Afenyo-Markin Calls for Scrapping AI Aptitude Tests in Security Recruitment
Minority Leader says online testing system is disadvantaging applicants from rural communities
- Alexander Afenyo-Markin calls for scrapping AI aptitude tests in security recruitment.
- Applicants reportedly facing difficulties with the online testing system.
- Rural candidates with limited ICT skills are particularly affected.
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called for the scrapping of artificial intelligence-based aptitude tests used in the ongoing recruitment into Ghana’s security services, citing significant challenges faced by many applicants.
The Effutu Member of Parliament said the Minority caucus had received numerous complaints from constituents who were disqualified during the recruitment process after struggling to complete the online testing system.
Speaking on the floor of the Parliament of Ghana on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, Afenyo-Markin urged the government to review the system and make the recruitment process more accessible, especially for applicants with limited digital skills.
According to him, a manual testing option similar to what the Ghana Armed Forces previously used should be considered to ensure fairness in the recruitment process.
“Mr. Speaker, the military did something good. They created a system that allowed people to take the aptitude test directly. If it is possible, the system should be changed to enable our boys and girls who are not educated in ICT to write it manually,” he stated.
Afenyo-Markin explained that many applicants from rural areas encounter difficulties navigating the digital platform used for the test.
“I am for AI. I am for IT. But you cannot suddenly call someone from Pusiga or Bunkurugu who knows nothing about IT and ask them to write an aptitude test using AI. If they don’t have the means, they fail,” he said.
He further stressed that the issue should not be politicised but treated as a systemic challenge that requires urgent attention from the relevant authorities.
The Minority Leader also noted that many applicants are forced to spend money at internet cafés to complete the online test, only to encounter technical challenges that prevent them from progressing.
“I think it is a serious system challenge that the ministry would have to look at properly because it is we, the MPs, who are carrying the burden,” he added.
He therefore appealed to the government to review the current recruitment system to ensure that entry into the security services remains fair and accessible to all qualified applicants.
