A fraud and security consultant, Richard Kumadoe, has advised security agencies to revert to the rigorous recruitment processes enforced in the Jerry John Rawlings era, to safeguard the country’s security.
The former National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) officer alluding to his era under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), revealed that for the delicateness of the work and its implications on the security of the nation, the agency spent three years investigating prospective officers when they applied for the job.
According to him, out of a total of 1000 applicants, he and four others made it onto the list, adding, “there is a sensitive section in the BNI [now NIB] and out of the five, about three of us were picked.”
On the back of this, he said the mere selection of individuals without painstaking efforts to enquire about their backgrounds before taking them through trainings, could be detrimental as it tends to be a breeding ground for criminals.
“If you take anybody and take them through any training, particularly when it is influenced by politics then it will be problematic because politics is divisive in nature and sometimes unproductive, and detracted, and the politicians sometimes use these security persons for their dirty works,” he said in an interview with Kofi Adoma Nwanwani.
Mr. Kumadoe’s comments on the Anopa Bofoↄ show on Monday February 21, 2022, came in wake of concerns raised about the potential recruits have of becoming nuisance in society, weapons in the hands of politicians, and to vent their frustrations when they are mustered out of the service.
He noted that when persons who have received security training are discharged from the service for misconducts, a lot of resources must be invested including the engagement of psychologists and sociologists in ensuring that potential threats are well managed.
“Just like you will need lots of money and resources refine dirty water for supply, in security on deviant behavior, it is the same thing; you will need energy, resources and manpower to clean it up,” Mr. Kumadoe said.
