By Philip Antoh
The Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that medical screening for security service applicants will begin on 7 April at designated centres nationwide, signalling the next stage of a recruitment process that has already been forced to confront persistent attempts at extortion.
In a statement, the ministry said official SMS notifications will be sent to shortlisted candidates between 29 and 31 March, using the authorised sender ID “CSERP”. Applicants are instructed to disregard any messages from other sources a caution that reflects the scale of fraudulent activity that has historically surrounded state hiring.
Successful candidates will see their status on the recruitment portal change from “Qualified” to “Medical Screening” before any payment is required. The ministry reiterated that fees will only be collected through a secure web checkout on the portal, not via mobile money or direct transfers to individuals.
The exercise, covering security services under the ministry’s purview, is proceeding under close public scrutiny. With scams already reported in earlier phases, the emphasis on centralised communication and payment channels appears designed to limit the influence of intermediaries who have long exploited the opacity of recruitment processes. Whether the new controls will hold or merely shift the venue of rent-seeking remains to be tested over the coming weeks.