The Member of Parliament for Manhyia North, Collins Owusu Amankwah, has said height requirements for enlistment into the security services should be scrapped.
He said that requirement is discriminatory towards people from the Ashanti Region.
“I think we must have a second look at our requirements into the security agencies in this country…in this day and age intelligence gathering is more about brain work than physical strength. When it comes to height as a requirement, I have a strong reservation in that it is inconsistent and repugnant with the general laws of this country”, he said.
Owusu Amankwah, who is also the Vice Chairman for the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, said Ashantis are generally short, therefore that law isn’t favourable to them.
“From where I am coming from, we are short in nature, [Ashanti region] that does not mean that we don’t have the capacity to provide policing in terms of public safety. I think that this particular requirement is highly biased, discriminatory and must be reviewed as a matter of necessity and urgency,” he said.
There is a minimum height requirement for persons who are interested to be recruited into the nation’s security agencies.
The Ghana Immigration Service, demands that the minimum height should be 1.73 metres (5ft 8inch) for Males and 1.63 metres (5ft 4inch) for Females.