Eight days ago, on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Ghana witnessed a tragic incident when six women died and several others sustained injuries during a stampede at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra, where recruitment exercises were being conducted by the Ghana Armed Forces.
The incident left many Ghanaians in grief and sparked calls for a more digitized or decentralised recruitment system, allowing applicants to report to centers across the regions rather than converging at a single venue.
In response to the tragedy, President John Dramani Mahama ordered a temporary halt to the recruitment process.
Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, CDS tour El-Wak as GAF recruitment resumes
On Thursday, November 20, 2025, the exercise resumed. During GhanaWeb’s visit to El-Wak, calm had been restored compared to the earlier chaotic scenes. Measures were introduced to prevent overcrowding and ensure safety.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Armed Forces, Veronica Adzo-Arhin, only applicants who had received official text message notifications were permitted to report to El-Wak and four other designated centers, including those handling applications for the Navy and Air Force.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff, William Agyapong, along with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence led by Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, visited the stadium to assess the situation on the ground.
GAF nabs suspect over forged documents at El-Wak recruitment centre
VKB/MA
