Two of the dismissed recruits of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have revealed on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm that, they have received offers from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Boko Haram after they stated that, they were being compelled to join these militant groups.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Kwame Tutu host of Frontline, Kwame Ayerty and Kwame Asare said, they have started receiving offers through text messages to join these groups.
GAF dismissed some 501 military recruits in December 2015 for staging an unauthorised protest which officials say was mutinous.
The recruits, who were undergoing a six-month mandatory training at the Army Recruits Training School (ARTS) at Shai Hills on December 3, 2015 were said to have staged an unauthorised assembly on the school square, marched to the instructors’ accommodation and demanded to be sent home because the training was strenuous.
GAF has refused to reinstate the recruits stating that, it’s against their rules. The recruits have also described their dismissal as wrongful.
The two recruits explained that, they are currently being lured by agents of ISIS.
The dismissal they said still frustrate them and if care is not taken, some of them may have no option than to join these groups.
According to them, they have tried all they could through various petitions but these efforts have failed to work.
“We have tried several efforts to be reinstated but no one seems to be giving us an audience, and these groups are also luring us to join them. Colonel Quarshie has told us to join these groups if we want to since it is our own choice. We don’t think this is good. His comment is discouraging,” Kwame Asare told Kwame Tutu.
He added that, because of the situation they are in, some of the dismissed recruits may join ISIS but he [Kwame Asare] will not join. According to him, because they have the nation at heart, they would want authorities to handle the issue carefully.
“We have not decided to join ISIS. It is because we have the nation at heart and that is why we have brought up this issue. We do not meet to create problems for this country, but we want our issue to be addressed holistically.”
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