Retired Colonel rejects calls to extend GAF age limit

Retired military officer and security analyst, Colonel Festus Aboagye (Rtd.), has dismissed calls for an upward review of the enlistment age into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), insisting that there is no strong justification for such a change.

His comments follow renewed pressure from MPs Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor and Sam George, who argue that the current age restrictions unfairly exclude many capable Ghanaians in their 30s.

Mr. Dafeamekpor, MP for South Dayi, recently said on X that he had received numerous complaints about the age cap on army recruitment.

He shared data comparing enlistment ages across Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America, noting that countries such as Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Togo allow recruitment up to 30–35 years.

Others, including Australia, Germany, and the UK, permit enlistment well into the late 30s or even 50s, depending on the role.

Based on this, he suggested Ghana should extend its limit to 35 or 40 years, especially for non-combatant positions, provided applicants are medically fit.

His position was echoed by Communications Minister Sam George, who argued that many Ghanaians in their 30s remain physically strong and capable of serving.

But Col. Aboagye disagrees. Speaking in an interview, he stressed that the Armed Forces is not facing a shortage of recruits and therefore has no need to raise the age limit.

“If you open up recruitment now, tens of thousands will apply. There is no shortage of qualified people. Without that problem, there is no justification to expand the age bracket,” he said.

He explained that the current structure already offers some flexibility.

Regular recruits are accepted up to 25 years, with an additional allowance of two to five years for professionals such as engineers whose skills are scarce.

According to him, the logic behind recruiting younger soldiers is to allow them to serve a full 25-year career. Raising the entry age, he warned, would disrupt the service structure and shorten officers’ career spans.

“If someone joins at 25 and retires after 25 years, they leave at 50. If you increase the entry age to 30, you push retirement higher, creating a ripple effect across the ranks,” he explained.

Col. Aboagye also cited health and social concerns.

Older recruits, he said, are more likely to develop health complications, which would increase the Defence Ministry’s medical costs.

In addition, mixing 20-year-old recruits with those a decade older could create uncomfortable leadership dynamics.

“A younger, more competent recruit could end up leading someone older, which may generate tensions in the ranks,” he cautioned.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces has announced that its 2025 enlistment exercise will soon open across all 16 regional capitals.