Security analyst Andrews Asiedu Tetteh has described the dismissal of ten security recruits for using mobile phones at the training grounds as overly harsh.
He noted that alternative forms of punishment should have been applied rather than withdrawing the affected recruits from the ongoing training exercise.
Ten security service recruits in Ghana were dismissed for breaching training regulations by secretly keeping mobile phones.
The Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, revealed the dismissals while addressing students at Sakafiya Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi, where he spoke on recruitment standards and institutional discipline.
Under existing regulations, recruits are required to surrender all electronic devices upon arrival at the academy. However, several individuals secretly retained their phones to make night-time calls, leading to their immediate removal.
Commenting on the development in an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Mr Asiedu Tetteh acknowledged that while the recruits breached protocol, their outright removal was unnecessary. He admitted that the action of the recruits reflects a broader national problem of indiscipline.
“Indiscipline from our schools has increased significantly, and that has affected every sector of our lives. You’ve been given a clear directive not to use phones, and don’t means don’t. The training exercise is also regimental, meaning that you obey instructions, and so if you are warned not to bring in phones, don’t do it. But I am thinking that sacking them was too excessive. Maybe other punishments could have been effected.”
He added that if the decision was not properly communicated, the dismissal appears harsh, arguing that the recruits should have been warned first.
According to him, as individuals undergoing training, the recruits were bound to make mistakes and deserved a second chance, especially if the initial orientation did not clearly outline the rules and consequences.
He was, however, quick to add that if the authorities had explicitly communicated the prohibition of phone use and the penalties beforehand, he would support the decision.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana