President John Mahama has expressed his concern at the tragic incident at the El-Wak Sports Stadium during a military recruitment exercise in Accra which caused several injuries and deaths.
All nationwide recruitment exercise by the Ghana Armed Forces has been suspended temporarily to allow for a thorough investigation into the incidents and ensure that future recruitment processes are conducted under safer and more controlled conditions.
President Mahama described the development as “deeply regrettable” and said “I have asked the leadership of the Armed Forces to temporarily halt the recruitment exercise and conduct a full investigation. We must take a fresh approach to ensure such unfortunate incidents do not happen again.”
President Mahama said the safety of prospective recruits must remain a top priority, adding that the military’s recruitment process should reflect professionalism, discipline, and respect for human life.
He also urged the Defence Ministry and the Ghana Armed Forces to review their crowd management and screening procedures before resuming the exercise.
The president’s directive comes amid growing public concern over the handling of mass recruitment exercises, which often attract large turnouts due to high youth unemployment and limited job openings in the security services.
The Ghana Armed Forces has yet to issue an official response to the president’s directive.
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